The Return of the Dragons
by Fresh blood
Summary: Eventual Eragon/Saphira and Spyro/Cynder pairings. The dragons were not always the ferocious and powerful species that once roamed free in Alagaësia. They existed long before that land was formed and now the past will be clashed with the present.
1. History

**Well here is my second story. I hope it will become as popular as my first but I doubt I will even get half of the reviews that The Future Begins has gotten due to the crossover. This chapter is exactly what the title says it is. It will explain a few things and make the crossover viable and plausible. After this chapter I will begin with the real story with dialogue and action and I have a plot for it already that will stretch far into the future chapters. Well, anyway, enjoy.**

The vast chamber inside the mountain began to shake and rumble. Statues and pillars crumbled and the walls started to cave in, many of the first few rocks instantly showering near its entrance.

"That's our only way out!" A dragonfly by the name of Sparx shouted in anguish as he watched the rocks piling around it. A black dragon hatchling named Cynder began to make a rush towards it. She stopped and turned towards the small purple dragon hatchling that was collapsed on the floor.

"Come on!" She shouted at him, her eyes gazing on his form. "Now's our chance!"

The purple dragon looked up at the black one, she looked determined to save him but he didn't feel like he had the energy to stand. "Just go!" He shouted back to her.

The black dragon rose up on her hind legs slightly and stamped back down on her forelegs. "Get up, Spyro! We're not leaving without you!" Her voice was steady and her resolve steadfast despite the falling rocks around her.

The dragon fly buzzed around the chamber, avoiding falling debris. "Usually I would say ignore her, but she's making sense this time." Spyro's secret feelings for her and his fear of her being injured because of him gave him the strength he needed.

He slowly brought himself onto all fours, but as he did so it was too late. The falling rocks completely sealed the passage. He cried out in dismay, "Oh no...We're trapped!" Spyro, Sparx and Cynder all looked at each other, grim expressions on each of their faces, they realised that they were not going to get out of the mountain with their lives.

Spyro lowered his head in despair. Everything he had done up to now; rescuing the dragon guardians from their imprisonment, stopping Cynder from releasing the Dark Master from his prison and returning her back to her true form; regaining his powers to defend his race from the now imminent release of the Dark Master; all of it for naught.

The words spoken to him by the ancient dragon known as the Chronicler, prior to coming to the mountain of Malefor, echoed in his mind. _Ride out this storm... and live to fight another day..._

Spyro looked up at Cynder, a new determination in his eyes. "Get close to me! Now!"

Sparx and Cynder reacted to Spyro's words. Sparx flew close to his head and Cynder walked up to his right side, looking over her shoulder as she did so. They huddled tightly around him.

Spyro began to call upon his energy and formed a cloud of amber light. It spread out from his centre, engulfing Sparx and Cynder. Once they were bathed in the amber light it began to solidify in a blinding flash.

The light became an impregnable crystal that froze the three in place, preserving their bodies for an unknown amount of time. As soon as the crystal was complete the chamber collapsed, pillars, statues, iron chains, all filling in the space untouched by the crystal.

Outside, the mountain itself began to cave in from the top where the dragon head structure formed the entrance to the chamber. A thick, dark cloud began to shroud the summit, it shifted and swirled as it grew.

The cloud began to solidify and shape itself. It wasn't long until it took the shape of a large purple dragon. Its eyes scanned the horizon carefully as it stood on the now flat mountain summit. Malefor, the Dark Master was free.

--

After his release from convexity, the prison which had held him for so long that had been weakened by his once former servant Cynder; Malefor quickly began to spread his evil. His first task was to locate the crystal that had saved Spyro and Cynder's lives.

The crystal was designed to protect them for a total of three years and then release them safely to live to fight against him. Using his own powers, he made it so that the crystal would encase them indefinitely, until another dragon released them from their suspended state. He knew that none knew the location of the crystal so therefore Malefor also knew that they would remain trapped forever.

After that, he began to wage his war against the dragons that had imprisoned him. The guardians, one by one, fell to the power of the purple dragon that had mastery over all the elements, whereas any other dragon only had mastery of one, such as ice or fire.

The rest of the dragons knew that they could not defeat the Dark Master so most of them reverted to hiding. Only few were located and killed before Malefor grew tired of it. Using his immense powers over the elements, he fused the Dragon Realms into one land. This took a lot of his energy and nobody could fathom why he had done it.

In his weakened state Malefor left the land to recover and, after a century of hiding, the remaining dragons grew brave enough to venture forth from their hiding place. To their horror they discovered that all the intelligent species that had lived in the former Dragon Realms had been exterminated.

The only creatures left were the animals unable to communicate with the dragons on a sentient level such as deer and birds. The dragons were the only intelligent species left on a land that was now abundant with food and living space. They took advantage of Malefor's disappearance and began to flourish.

Millennia passed and the dragons began to evolve. They gained muscle mass and the difference between the males, which had been broader in shoulders and shorter in snout, and the females, who were thin at the waist, legs and arms, yet still powerful, and longer in snout, began to fade. Soon the two genders looked relatively the same aside from a few differences such as slightly wider shoulders for the males and a more angled face for the females.

Their life spans also changed. They began to live for much longer periods of time and some suggested that they were now immortal, except for injury or illness. They also grew larger. A typical dragon once took several years to reach their full size and then remained that size for the rest of their lives. Now however, it only took six months for a dragon hatchling to reach the size of an adult of old and even then the hatchling continued to grow.

They also lost many of their skills with their evolution. The dragons of old had conversed with many different species but, left by themselves, they began to lose their speech and were only able to communicate with their own race through growls and mental thought.

The dragons had possessed mastery over the elements. Blue dragons had mastery over ice, red dragons had mastery over fire, yellow dragons had mastery over electricity and green dragons had mastery over earth. Many other colours of dragons existed with their own unique powers such as black with the power of darkness and white with the power of light. Purple was the only colour that could master all of these elements and powers.

As they evolved however, the dragons began to forget their abilities and soon, despite the colour, dragons could only breathe fire. They, however, gained a different power to replace this loss. Under certain circumstances the dragons found that they could wield powerful magic but they neither mastered it nor understood it. The magic only surfaced when it was needed, never when called upon.

Purple dragons, a rarity in the past, became more frequent but, as their power was restricted to fire and the odd use of magic, they were not as revered as they once was and took their place as a common colour in the rainbow that made up the dragon race.

The dragons also lost their dexterity when they gained their new muscle mass and skills with tools, which they used to build the statues and large temples that they once lived in, were lost. Although incredibly intelligent and wise they were forced to nest in caves and groves but were content to do so.

The dragons were left alone on the land for a long time until, eventually, they began to come into contact with small creatures that, despite having four limbs, never walked on four legs. They soon discovered that these creatures were intelligent as they talked within their species and used tools to accomplish tasks.

The dragons clashed with the small creatures, which they soon discovered were called dwarfs, over such things as food and the dragons, which could not deny themselves, stole the dwarfs colourful trinkets and gold which reminded the dragons of their former lives.

This made the dwarfs resent the dragons although they never pursued them, only fought them off when they grew too close. As the land grew hotter, the dragons watched the dwarves retreat into the mountains to the south, which reduced the dragon's chances of stealing their gold.

The next species the dragons came into contact with were of a taller bipedal race. They seemed weak and fragile, yet their intelligence far surpassed that of the dwarfs. What really fascinated the dragons was this race's usage of magic. The race could call it forth willingly although the results were unpredictable.

After a particularly dangerous magic went wrong and destroyed most of this new race the survivors focused together and the dragons watched as they poured their energy into binding the magic in the land to words, which would control and give the magic boundaries. This act weakened the fragile race and they soon died out.

Soon after the 'grey folk', as the dragons called them, died out, a new race stepped foot on the land from across the ocean. They were like the grey folk but more elegant, and they were gifted in the use of magic, which prolonged their life but they were not immortal like the dragons now were. They paid no mind to the dragons and thought them to be mere animals. This caused the dragons to want to have nothing to do with these 'fair folk' or elves as they liked to call themselves.

The dragons returned to their solitude, constantly worrying about the return of Malefor due to the new species that had set foot on, what the Dark Master viewed as, his land. A mating pair of dragons were contemplating this when an elf killed one of them as if the dragon was game. The surviving mate roared in anger and its mind touched the elf's who then realised that the dragons were no mere animals.

This began a war which ravaged both species. The dragons banded together and attacked the elves who tried to reconcile their actions but to no avail. The ferocity of the dragons attacks forced the elves to actively fight back and a group of elves ambushed a dragon nest place in a mountain, killing all the dragons there and destroying their eggs.

The war raged for five years until an elf found a white dragon egg. He raised the dragon and the two became friends. With this bond the two acted as ambassadors between the two warring races and brought an end to the war.

After the war the dragons worked with the elves to ensure that another one would never envelope the land again. They formed a pact between the two races, making the elves as immortal as the dragons and linking select few by their minds and souls. The order of the dragon riders was formed.

This was the first time the dragons had interacted with a species since before Malefor destroyed their Dragon Realms and the other native species, such as the Manwersmalls and Atlawas. As such most of the dragons were uneasy with the pact and only few eggs out of the hundreds lain by one mating pair were given to the elves to be rider's dragons.

After two millennia another race, similar to the elves, but more rough around the edges, so to speak, were added to the pact. These humans, as they were called, became the fourth great race of the now named land of Alagaësia.

It was one of these humans that almost succeeded where Malefor had failed. A human by the name of Galbatorix rose to power and slaughtered the dragons. As far as the three remaining great races were concerned only three dragon eggs escaped the slaughter, all captured by Galbatorix, and the wild dragons were exterminated.

One of these dragon eggs was stolen from the clutches of the black king and it found its rider, a young human by the name of Eragon. The dragon, a female whom Eragon named Saphira, which reflected her sapphire scales, and Eragon became dragon and rider and hope was brought forth for the dragons and the races that were under the iron fist of Galbatorix and his own dragon, Shruikan, a black male dragon that had also been stolen and manipulated with dark magic to replace the dragon that Galbatorix had lost.

Saphira had very limited hereditary knowledge of the distant past of her race and only mild urges and instincts indicated a past that was no longer remembered. A past where dragons 

ruled over their dragon realms and a past where they flourished within their own temples and sought knowledge like the elves constantly did.

This would cause problems for all those involved when, in the near future, she and Eragon uncovered something long forgotten, lost in the depths of time itself.

**Tell me what you think. The updates for this story will be slightly slower than The Future Begins and I am not setting deadlines but it will never be longer than a week, maximum, until an update is posted. It could take three days it may take seven but never more than that.**


	2. A promise to keep

**Here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.**

The plains were grim with death. The screams of pain could still be heard despite the battle being over. A hand gripped his leg as he walked and he stopped. He looked down at a soldier of Galbatorix's army; a large wound in his chest was easily visible. "H-help me, p-please." The soldier coughed and blood blew expelled into the air like a cloud.

The man could only look at the soldier, he hadn't the energy to heal the wound and all he could do was meet the man's gaze. The grip loosened when the soldier realised the man would not help him. "I-I thought you were s-supposed to be a saviour, hope for the pe-people, I never wanted t-t-to fight, he threatened my family...and now you let me die." The soldier coughed again and then his breathing stopped.

Eragon knelt down and closed the man's eyes. He couldn't even save this one life, he thought to himself, what chance did he have of saving an empire? He got up and resumed his walk. To his left a large group of urgals were cheering at their victory. One spotted Eragon and they cheered in his direction. He nodded back to them but only to acknowledge them.

He didn't like the urgals, but he knew that they would have lost the battle without them. A small group of Kull had actually been his own bodyguards during the fighting. He moved on, not wanting to look at the carnage around him. His foot slipped and sank into the earth but, due to his elven reflexes, he managed to pull his leg away from the fiery jet of flame before it engulfed him.

The ground was treacherous and had actually taken more lives than he had done. During the war between Galbatorix and the riders, a dragon had ignited the peat that continued to burn underground. Despite that being over a hundred years ago, the fire still smouldered and if the ground was broken the air that rushed in made the flames rise again.

There were no dwarves left on the battlefield. After Hrothgar was killed they left to bury him. Orik was one of the last to leave but before he did he told Eragon that, under the circumstances, he was excused from the funeral. Eragon knew he could not attend due to his duties but he still wanted to be there. The dwarf king had shown him much friendship and had even adopted him into his and Orik's clan, something that had never been done for a human before.

Thinking of Hrothgar made him think of the one who had killed him. It was the one person he did not expect and it was the one person who hurt him most because of it, he would rather have had Galbatorix himself arrive than him. That was because it was Murtagh who had came, astride his own ruby dragon, and killed the dwarven king and then proceeded to attack Eragon.

What hurt him the most, however, was that Murtagh wasn't just his once former ally. During their fight Murtagh revealed that he was his brother, he then proceeded to take Eragon's sword Zar'roc from him, as it once belonged to one of the forsworn by the name of Morzan, who was the father of Murtagh, making the sword rightfully Murtagh's through inheritance as Murtagh was the oldest out of the two brothers.

The reality of Morzan being Eragon's father weighed heavily on his shoulders. Morzan was the one who had helped Galbatorix steal the black dragon, Shruikan, to replace the dragon that the evil king had lost. Not only that, but Morzan was also the one who had killed Brom's 

dragon. Brom was the first person to train Eragon in the way of the rider and Eragon had an unwavering respect for Brom and was deeply affected by his death at the hands of the Ra'zac.

Eragon reached the bank of the Jiet River. The water was contaminated due to the battle and it ran with dirt and blood that would soon pass into the sea as the water from the north flushed it out. Eragon looked further down the river at the Dragon Wing, the ship that the people of Carvahall journeyed on to reach the Varden. Some of the villagers resented him for causing the fate of the village but most were in awe of him, something which unsettled the once farm hand of Carvahall.

The steady thud grew louder and a change in air pressure caused a small discomfort to Eragon's ears. A few seconds later a large, sapphire dragon landed by his side, shaking the ground under her weight and almost making him lose his footing. He placed a hand on her strange smooth yet rough, sparkling blue scales. When he questioned everything that had happened during the last two years; his uncle Garrow's death; Brom's death; Murtagh's betrayal; they all seemed worth it when he thought of her, his one true and eternal friend, linked by a bond that would hold for the rest of their possibly infinite lives.

She hummed as he rubbed her side. _What are you doing here, little one?_ She asked, her voice filled with the wisdom of her ancestors. _You are needed by your nest-mate, you promised to take him to Helgrind and I would like to seek vengeance for Brom's death. _Eragon sighed, she was right, he had promised that to his cousin and he needed to come through for him, as in a way, it was his fault that Katrina was kidnapped by the Ra'zac.

"Alright, I was just thinking, let's go back." Saphira growled quietly at his response.

_Why do you not speak to me with your mind, are you trying to hide something?_ Eragon laughed at this. He was hiding his thoughts from Saphira, he, like she had done many times before, was wrestling with some personal problems which he had no desire to discuss yet.

"I am just trying to work some things through my mind and I do not wish you to be burdened with them." Saphira snorted at him.

_If you have no wish to share then I will not force you but if you do feel like you need to talk I am always here._ He climbed up her front shoulder and positioned himself on the saddle.

"I know, Saphira, I know." She crouched down and then, shattering the earth with her weight, took flight. Her wings beat methodically as she flew over the encampments. Many of the Varden's soldiers stopped to look at the dragon but nobody made a noise. He relaxed slightly as she flew. He always enjoyed flying; he took comfort in the fact that whilst in the air he was alone, except with Saphira, and nobody could make him do anything or cause him harm, it was pure freedom.

His flight was short though and he soon felt Saphira's muscles tense as she came in for a landing. Unlike when she landed by the river, she landed lightly and nobody was aware of her presence. He dismounted Saphira, who then nudged him towards the tent in front of them. He laughed at her behaviour; she always viewed him as her hatchling, which sometimes annoyed him as he was, in fact, older than her.

He approached the tent, brushed aside the flap and entered. There were three people in the room. Nasuada and Roran were the only two talking, by the sound of it, the two were discussing the people of Carvahall but they stopped when Eragon walked in. Arya was stood by the far left next to a table with a blue cloth draped over it. She had been listening intently to the discussion and looked up when they stopped. She noticed Eragon and then looked away from him, finding a sudden interest in the opposite wall.

Eragon frowned at this but cast it to one side. Arya was still wary of him since he revealed his feelings for her but know all he wanted was for them to be friends again. He approached Nasuada and Roran and gave a slight bow to Nasuada. She responded with a nod and Roran looked confused. "I thought Eragon was supposed to be the most respected person in any room, why is he bowing?"

Eragon gave a quick glance to Roran and he was sure he caught Arya suppressing a smile. Nasuada sighed. "It is merely a formality, Master Roran, he pledged his fealty to me and now he answers to me, although if he wanted to he could flee, I couldn't stop him, but if he did the Varden may question my leadership as the dragon rider saw me unfit to serve." Roran nodded his head in understanding. Eragon found this amusing, he highly doubted that Roran understood this at all but he didn't mention anything.

"Well, anyway, we could greatly use the people of Carvahall even if most of them refuse to fight, they could be used to farm food for the rest of the Varden." Roran bowed to Nasuada, and Eragon coughed to cover a small laugh. 'He's lost in a world that he's trying to fit in', he thought to himself. Nasuada turned to Eragon and he met her gaze. "Now Eragon, where do we go from here?"

Eragon knew exactly what he needed to do, return to Ellesméra to continue his training. But he had promised something first. "I think", he said, "That I should continue my training with the elves but, with your permission, I would like to travel with my cousin to Helgrind and rescue his future wife and my future sister-in-law from the Ra'zac, Saphira would also like to extract vengeance from them for Brom's death, something which I also strive for."

Nasuada was silent for a while, considering her options. Eragon sensed that Arya wanted to speak with him ever since he had mentioned Helgrind. He looked to her but she was still keeping her gaze from him. "Alright, you have my permission to leave but afterward you must return back to the elves. We could still use you but your training is more important. I must now speak with King Orrin to discuss our losses." Nasuada gathered some parchment, buckled her sword to her waist and then left the tent.

"I appreciate this Eragon," Roran said after she had left. "I know you are busy and so am I but the whole reason I did all this was to save her." Eragon nodded. "I will speak to you later cousin, I have my own matters to attend to with the people of Carvahall." He gave Eragon a rough hug and then left, leaving him alone with Arya, who now looked at him.

"You told me in Ellesméra about the words that the werecat told you, about the Rock of Kuthian." Eragon nodded, disappointed at her formality. "Well I now remember where I had heard that name." Eragon stiffened, if he knew where the Rock of Kuthian was he could find the Vault of Souls and obtain the power he needed to defeat Galbatorix and possibly save Murtagh.

"Well, where is it?" He asked urgently.

"Helgrind. It is the smallest peak." She simply said. This threw Eragon off guard. He didn't expect it to be there but now that he thought about it, it did made sense. He remembered whilst in Dras Leona that Brom had said that the monks that worshipped Helgrind bickered about whether the smallest and fourth peak was to be worshipped. This indicated that nobody knew how important that peak was, and that made it the perfect place for the Vault of Souls to be hidden, nobody would find it.

"Be careful when exploring Helgrind, Eragon, the elves do not have much information on it nor did we ever have the inclination to explore it." With that she left without saying a word, the flap of the tent billowing in the breeze caused by her exit. He paid her no mind, she would be his friend again once his feelings for her died away, and Eragon suspected that that had already started. He was thinking for a while in the tent until he heard the flap rustle. He turned around and came face to face with Saphira's head, which she had pushed in to see him.

_Are you planning on staying in here or are you coming out with me?_ She asked him. He met her gaze and then laughed. She tilted her head to the side in confusion and then she pulled away as Eragon began pushing her head out. Once back outside he climbed once again onto her back, she kneaded the soil with her claws. _So what is it you want to do?_ She asked.

"I thought that you had an idea by the way you asked me if I was coming." She snorted."Well, I guess we should patrol the area from the air and assist if needed."

_Very well, but I will not have you exhausting yourself, you need your rest if you are to travel to Helgrind._ Saphira then took off again and began to circle around the various groups of people. The rest of that day consisted of helping the Varden in different ways. He had helped a group of people who were transporting wounded soldiers, he helped hand out water, and he even prevented a skirmish between a kull and three men. None of these tasks were taxing to Eragon but eventually Saphira stopped listening to his orders to set down and began to take him to his tent. She had obviously decided that now was the time for him to rest, as the sun began to set.

His tent was the largest, as Saphira needed room to enter it, and it was easily visible from a distance. After landing she didn't crouch down for him to dismount and walked straight in. Once she was inside she growled and looked around. _Where are all your cushions and furnishings?_ The living space inside the tent was completely devoid of soft places to sit and his bed had been completely stripped of its bedding.

"Well...I told some soldiers who were short of cushions and what not for the wounded that they could take mine from my tent."

_Well that was foolish, they even took my cushions. Now you are going to have to sleep with me, you know, sometimes you are too selfless, you never think of yourself._ She crouched down and he climbed off her. He then waited until she found a spot to sleep in and once she was comfortable he lay down next to her. Her side was warm and once she lowered her wing over him the air grew warmer. He lay in the darkness and soon fell asleep through exhaustion.

--

It took three days for Eragon to regain the energy he would need to face the Ra'zac, he was helped along by the constant rests that Saphira forced him to take. He borrowed a sword from the armoury and mounted Saphira, who then set off to find Roran. They found him by the Dragon Wing with his own pack. When Saphira landed Eragon questioned him on the hammer in his hand. "This, it's my weapon, that's why they call me Stronghammer." Eragon didn't question him further but coaxed him to climb onto Saphira.

Roran eyed the dragon. "Is it safe?" He asked, cautious about flying. Saphira snaked her neck around to look Roran in the eyes.

_I assure you there is no safer way to travel._ After many more reassurances from both Eragon and Saphira, Roran was eventually seated behind Eragon, one arm wrapped firmly around Eragon's waist. Roran braced himself as Saphira crouched down and then shouted as she took off. His grip on Eragon tightened as Saphira gained altitude.

"Not so tight, you won't fall, trust me." Roran apologized and loosened his grip slightly. He was not really ready for flying but after an hour of doing just that he began to grow more accustomed to it. Because of Roran, Saphira was forced to fly at a steadier pace to alleviate his fears of falling off and she couldn't cover as much ground as she could in one day.

During Saphira's rests, the two cousins told each other about their. Out of the two, Roran was obviously the more in awe of Eragon's experiences but Eragon still thought that Roran had achieved some amazing feats. Saphira also introduced herself to Roran more thoroughly and the two seemed to get along. Saphira liked Roran's personality and he didn't seem afraid of her, which was the norm when Saphira talked with anybody. After listening to his story about Carvahall, Saphira even went as far as to joke to Eragon that she may have chosen the wrong cousin to be her rider; suffice it to say, Eragon wasn't particularly pleased with this joke.

When they first laid eyes on Helgrind Eragon pointed it out to Roran, he seemed to be slightly daunted by its ominous presence but he was ready. Eragon began to prepare himself to take on the Ra'zac. He thought about all the pain they had caused him; Garrow's death, Brom's death; the siege of Carvahall; he even thought about when they had chained up Saphira and put a muzzle on her. All this enraged him and he felt the need to battle. He opened his mind to Saphira so that they could fight as one and found that she too had prepared herself to fight.

_The Ra'zac probably already know that we are approaching and are prepared for us, perhaps it best Roran gets off before we enter, so he can ambush them if we encounter trouble._ Eragon repeated this to Roran who seemed to agree. They flew closer to the rock and they began to look for what could be used as a passable residence. They circled it a few times but Eragon nor Saphira could make out even a crack that could lead to a cave. Roran, however, thought it curious that a flower was growing so high up the mountain and brought it to Eragon's attention.

"Yes that is strange; surely there cannot be any water up here." Saphira angled towards it but before she reached it she allowed Roran to get off on a ledge below the flower. She then perched on the flower's ledge but she lost her balance and flexed her wings to correct herself. The wing closest to the rock went through it which surprised the both of them. Eragon spoke 

to Roran with his mind. _I think we have found the entrance, the wall up here isn't real, it is an illusion. Me and Saphira will go on ahead, ten minutes from now follow us in as if we are not out by then we would probably have been incapacitated._

Eragon felt Roran agree and then tapped Saphira on her neck. She turned her head to look at him. _Let us be careful in here, Saphira. Remember what Oromis said, the Ra'zac are designed to hunt humans and the Lethrblaka are as smart as a dragon._

She bared her teeth. _You are no longer Human and let us see who is smarter, them or I._ With that, Saphira cautiously entered the chamber behind the illusion. The chamber had light as Eragon could see clearly despite it being within Helgrind. The stone walls stretched further into the depths of the mountain and split off into four tunnels with a larger one in the centre; each one was too dark to see far into.

Saphira's claws clicked on the stone floor as she walked, making Eragon wince as the sound echoed. She crept along the floor, ready to strike if she needed to. When she reached one of the tunnels she stopped, but the clicking didn't. Eragon looked down and made sure that her claws were absolutely still, even Saphira checked. He began to unbuckle the straps on the saddle and as soon as they were undone a whirl of motion began.

A black figure lurched forth from one of the tunnels and swiftly knocked Eragon to the ground, winding him. At the same time a much larger figure ploughed into Saphira's side causing her to bowl over in agony. Eragon tried to reach for the magic in his mind but his urgent gasps for air made him lose his concentration. He looked towards Saphira. A huge hairless creature with a seven foot beak and rippling muscles had her pinned to the ground. It pushed down with its front legs on Saphira's side causing her to roar out in pain. Another lethrblaka crept out of the darkness and then another.

The figure that had knocked over Eragon stood over him and Eragon looked straight into the face of a Ra'zac. Its beak clicked rapidly and then it spoke. "I am sssso glad that you came here before I transsssformed. My brother would have liked to have tortured you but hisss metamorphosssisss wasss nigh." He indicated to the third lethrblaka to have emerged and Eragon realised that it must have been one of the two Ra'zac that had killed Brom. He remembered that one of the two had been taller and deduced that the taller one must have been older. "It'sss a ssshame that the king wantsss you alive, I would have enjoyed feasssting on your blood, asss would my family on the dragonsss." Eragon silently prayed that Roran could do something to help him, if not then the king would have finally won.

**Well what did you think. The chapters may take slightly longer to produce on this one than The Future Begins so I will not give set deadlines for updates just yet. I know there is an excerpt from Brisingr that conflicts with this chapter but I had to change it slightly otherwise I wouldn't be able to proceed, I hope you don't mind, I'm sure you won't. Read and Review please, new story equals uncertainty and I need to be reasured that I am going the right way with it. Thanks for reading.**


	3. The WellVault of Souls

**Sorry for the wait on this one but I had a few problems to take care of. I hope you enjoy it.**

Eragon tried to reach out for the magic in his mind but his mind seemed foggy and he realised that, although his body had changed so that it possessed the strengths of the elves, his mind was still susceptible to the Ra'zac's method of immobilizing its prey, humans. The feted breath filled his mind, blocking off the magic nub that he needed to break through to grasp the necessary magic. Eragon was still weak from his fall off Saphira and the Ra'zac managed to bind Eragon with chains.

"No matter how much you change our prey will never be stronger than usss." The Ra'zac dug its fingers into Eragon's side making him wince in pain. This only made the grip tighten and Eragon had to struggle to not cry out. "I want to hear you ssscream but maybe I am going the wrong way about it." The Ra'zac removed its hand and began to pace the chamber. Eragon tried to clear his mind of the Ra'zac's breath but it was no use, the room was thick with it.

The Ra'zac suddenly stopped pacing and looked up at Saphira. She was still pinned to the ground by two of the three lethrblaka, the third prowling around her. Saphira was growling quietly, she wasn't used to being helpless and she certainly didn't like it. "I know what will make you ssscream in agony" The Ra'zac said with malice. Eragon's mind raced as it tried to think of what the creature was thinking.

A series of rapid clicks were exchanged between the lethrblaka and the Ra'zac. Then the lethrblaka that wasn't being used to pin Saphira down began to walk around her and stood behind her right wing, where it was connected to Saphira at the joint, which was right in front of Eragon. The lethrblaka's eyes were fixed on Eragon's and he braced himself for whatever torture the creature was going to inflict upon his body. He wasn't prepared for what happened next though.

The lethrblaka turned away from Eragon and swiftly and viciously began to tear into the flesh that connected Saphira's wing to her body. Eragon's face went pale as Saphira's blood and roars filled the air and her screams of anguish echoed in his mind. She tried to break free of the position she was in but the two lethrblaka holding her down refused to let her move an inch. The only thing she could do was roar and cry as the lethrblaka destroyed her wing.

Eragon's voice grew horse from his own screaming and tears blurred his eyes as his dragon was mercilessly attacked in front of him. The Ra'zac began to laugh as Saphira's blood began to pool beneath her and slowly make its way towards where Eragon lay. Once the lethrblaka had finished with Saphira's right wing it continued to her left. Eragon's eyes grew wide as the sharp beak began its decent to the joint of her left wing. "NO, STOP!" He yelled. A series of clicks responded and the lethrblaka stopped, its beak hovering an inch away from Saphira's flesh.

"Now why would we ssstop, we are enjoying ourssselvesss." Eragon looked at Saphira with his blurred vision. Despite being held down she shuddered terribly and the floor around her head was soaked with her tears. Eragon wanted her to be safe more than anything and began to think of something to make the Ra'zac stop.

"I thought that you said the king wants us alive." He said to the Ra'zac, his voice quivering.

"Yesss I did but the king had given me permissssion to prevent the dragon from flying by any meansss necessssary if ssshe was going to essscape."

"But we haven't tried to escape."

"But the king doesssn't know that. We will jussst tell him that you did. Besssidesss your dragon isssn't required to fly for what the King hasss inssstore for her." Eragon became slightly confused, why would Galbatorix want a dragon that could not fly.

"What do you mean?" He asked the Ra'zac who chuckled at his question.

"Your dragon will become nothing more than a ssslave. Ssshe will be mated endlessly with Thorn and Ssshruikan and produce thousssandsss of eggsss for the King'sss planned army of dragon ridersss. Your dragon will not need to fly asss ssshe will become nothing but a ssslattern whosss only purpossse is to produce eggsss" Eragon could feel the fear coming from Saphira as the Ra'zac finished its sentence. He had felt her anxious before, he had also felt her worried but he had never felt her fearful.

"Galbatorix already suspects that you are not following his orders and if you harm Saphira once more I will make sure he knows that you have betrayed him and will continue to do so." The Ra'zac stared at Eragon for a few moments before he clicked and the lethrblaka that was still hovering over Saphira's wing backed off. Saphira continued to tremble and whimper but Eragon could feel a sense of relief come from her.

"Fine but I ssstill wisssh to torture you and if we cannot torture your dragon we will torture your cousssin. Yesss, we can sssmell hisss ssscent on your dragonsss sssaddle ssso we know that he isss nearby. I will find him and feassst on his body." With that the Ra'zac began to leave the chamber through the illusion that hid the cave. Eragon panicked and quickly contacted Roran's mind but Roran reassured him that he will be alright and to not worry. Now Eragon had nothing to do but listen to the quiet whimpers of Saphira and wait for Roran to do something.

--

Roran crouched down on the edge of a ledge that was in clear view of the hidden entrance. He remained still as he heard footsteps behind him. The Ra'zac was confident but it still didn't make a noise as it saw Roran and began to stalk him. Roran began to fiddle with his shoes to make it seem that he was unawares; his hammer was already in his hand, hidden from view.

The Ra'zac was steps away from Roran and it could almost taste the flesh it was about to feast on. It lunged forwards, finally making a noise as it screeched, but before it could grab Roran the human dived to the left and the Ra'zac missed. It tried to correct its dive but it was too late and the Ra'zac toppled over the edge grasping on to the rock ledge before it fell to its death.

Roran gave a war cry as he brought down his hammer heavily on the Ra'zac's fingers breaking several of them. The Ra'zac screeched horrifically but it didn't let go. Roran swung again, crushing the fingers into the rock and the Ra'zac finally lost its grip and fell to the ground far below, clicking and howling all the way until it finally fell silent as it impacted the ground.

--

Eragon had heard the noises made by the Ra'zac and couldn't help but smile as he felt the Ra'zac's consciousness disappear from his wandering mind. The lethrblaka holding Saphira down clicked at each other and began to leave to investigate what had happened to their child; they obviously thought that Saphira was no longer a threat, now that she couldn't fly. This left only one lethrblaka in the chamber with Eragon and Saphira whose rages were building. _Feel free to burn it, Saphira._

_With pleasure, little one._ Was the reply as Saphira lifted her neck and aimed her head at the lethrblaka. It clicked at her and prepared to attack but it was too late, a molten blue stream of fire hit it squarely on its muscular chest. The smell of seared flesh filled the room as the lethrblaka's legs buckled and it fell to the ground, wreathing in agony. Saphira didn't stop, however, and continued to fire her jet of flame at the hideous creature until its skin began to boil and the twitching stopped.

The disgusting smell clung to Eragon's nostrils and he almost threw up, dry retching. When he recovered he noticed that the Ra'zac's fowl breath had been masked by the burnt flesh and he found himself able to access his magic again. "Losna eka!" The bindings holding Eragon unravelled and he pulled himself up and walked to Saphira. He tried to approach her wing but she growled and snapped at him.

_I will be fine but your cousin needs your help, he cannot survive lethrblaka._ Eragon knew she was right but he didn't want to leave her. _If you do not go I will not hesitate to burn you, you can heal me when you return._ Eragon sensed that this was no idle threat and turned to leave, almost running back to her when she winced again.

Eragon burst out into the open air high above the ground. A breeze ruffled his hair as he searched for Roran. Distant clicks sounded above and behind him and, with the agility of an elf, Eragon leapt from rock to rock until he found the lethrblaka. They were scrapping at a crevasse with their talons and trying to fit their beaks in-between the rocks. Eragon watched as one of them reared back with a screech and Eragon saw the glint of a hammer in the darkness.

Eragon knew that he wouldn't be able to fight them with any wieldable weapon so he reached for the magic in his mind and pointed his palm at the lethrblaka. The gedwey ignasia shined as he spoke. "Malthinae theirra kalfis!" The lethrblaka screeched as their calves locked into place and they fell to the floor. Roran cautiously looked out of his small sanctuary and saw Eragon approaching him. He climbed over the rock with his hammer and looked at the two immobile creatures. Their heads and wings thrashed but without the movement of their legs they couldn't take flight or pose a threat to anything that kept a distance.

"We should kill them; they are a blight on this land and have caused us both enough pain and suffering for a life time." Eragon agreed as he thought of what they did and said to Saphira. He reached for the magic in his mind and killed the two creatures with a muttered death word and a flick of his wrist. Roran's mouth hung agape as he saw how easily Eragon had killed the monstrosities but before he could say anything Eragon was already hurrying back to the cave.

When Eragon reached the hidden entrance he burst inside and ran to Saphira. _Roran is safe and the lethrblaka are dead, now, let me heal you. _Saphira nodded her head and moved her 

wing as far as she could so that he could reach her wound, unfortunately this wasn't far and Eragon had to climb onto her back. He eyed the wound carefully, it was serious but it could be healed. The lethrblaka's beak had ripped her scales and skin and had torn her muscles, nerves and sinew that were essential for flight. The bones however were not broken and the flesh had not been torn out of place.

Eragon began to use the magic that he had used to heal the wound that Glaedr had done to her when they had fought at the Stone of Broken Eggs. He had not the strength to heal it by himself so he began to call on Saphira's reserves and he watched as the sinew and nerves began to reattach. The magic took a while to complete but soon the muscle had covered the sinew and nerves and her skin and scales moved back into place, making it so that the wound may not have happened had he not seen it inflicted.

Like before Saphira complained that it itched but was grateful to Eragon, who rubbed the area trying to alleviate the itch. When Roran had finally traversed the rocks of Helgrind and had reached the entrance Eragon had already explored the dark tunnels that stretched further into the mountain; Katrina wasn't down any of them. When Roran finally entered the chamber he stared at the large pool of blood around Saphira who still hadn't moved. "Are you injured?" He asked her. Saphira turned her head to look at him.

_I was but Eragon healed me, he will be back shortly and unfortunately we were unable to find your mate-to-be, she isn't here. _Roran's face sunk as she told him this and it sunk even further when he saw Eragon emerge from the darkness with a look that confirmed what Saphira had said. _The Ra'zac probably took her to the King so he can use her as leverage to capture Roran, to use as leverage to capture you, Eragon. _Eragon nodded in agreement as he placed his hand on her neck and looked at Roran.

"I'm sorry, I looked in every hole and crevasse but I couldn't find Katrina anywhere." Roran nodded dumbly as he sank against a wall. Saphira nudged Eragon towards him and Eragon sat down next to his cousin. They sat in silence for a while until Eragon remembered what Arya had told him about the rock of Kuthian. He told Saphira about this and although she didn't approve of leaving Roran alone she had to admit that it was more important to investigate.

"Roran, Saphira and I have to investigate something. We won't go far but it would be best if you remain here until we return. Do you understand?" Eragon felt like he was treating his older cousin like a child but as it stood Roran was beyond complicated explanations. When Roran didn't move Eragon stood up and went to Saphira. Her saddle was covered in her blood but so was he so he didn't mind sitting on it. When he had mounted her she began to walk to the hidden entrance, pausing only to touch Roran on his shoulder with her snout.

Once outside, she stretched her wings and flapped them experimentally. "Are they working properly?" Eragon asked her, preparing to do something to help.

_They are fine, little one, they just need to be exercised._ She then leapt of the edge and dived towards the ground. The thrill that always accompanied her dives filled Eragon before she stretched her wings, and with a heave pulled herself upright. Eragon felt her muscles strain as she carried her bulk in the air and he was as amazed as always at her ability to do so. She banked to the left and began to descend to the height of Helgrind's fourth peak. Once she 

reached it, she began to hover in place on the side that faced away from Dras-Leona, so that she would not be seen.

_There isn't anywhere to land, what are you supposed to do._ The beat of Saphira's wings drowned out his voice so he had to speak to her mentally.

_I don't know, Solembum said that I had to speak my name to enter the Vault of Souls._ Eragon doubted the usefulness of this but did so anyway and, as he had anticipated, nothing happened. _Well I'm out of ideas, any suggestions?_ Saphira snorted.

_Honestly, Eragon, you are quite possibly the simplest person that I came across in my egg, fortunately you had other attributes to overcome that and the ability to overcome it. Fine, if you need my help then I will assist._ The two discussed possible meanings to Solembum's advice and eventually Saphira's wings grew tired and she had to dig her claws into the mountain and hold on to rest.

_If Solembum knew you were a rider perhaps he had in mind somebody else's name. Do you remember in Tronjheim when I partook in a...copious amount of mead?_ Eragon laughed.

"How could I forget? You eventually ended up on your back passed out, if I am not mistaken."

_Unfortunately, no, you are not mistaken. Do you remember that our minds swayed in and out of each other's and I spoke through your voice?_ Eragon did recall a disturbing raspy voice coming from his mouth during the festivities. _Well maybe I have to say may name using your voice whilst I am in your mind. That would be as if you were speaking your name if you were I._ Eragon figured that it was worth a try and agreed to let Saphira take over his body.

It was a strange sensation, being pushed into the background and having someone else control your body. He could feel Saphira's presence everywhere as she took possession of his limbs and muscles. A raspy draconic voice came from his throat as Saphira spoke. "Your body is so strange, it is as if you are unbalanced and your movements feel clumsy."

_It's my body and I am used to it, it does not feel clumsy to one who has mastered it._

"Maybe so but a dragon's body seems to be more...able." Saphira stretched Eragon's arms and began to look around. "Your eyes see colours better than I do, although they don't see as far."

_Saphira you are not supposed to be comparing my body to yours or growing accustomed to using it. You only have to speak your name._

"Very well, I was only having a little fun." Saphira cleared his throat, though it did very little to reduce the grating, rough voice that came from his mouth. "Saphira Brightscales!" The result was almost instantaneous. The rock that Saphira's unmoving body was attached to began to recede into the mountain and unveiled a path that stretched down into the base of Helgrind. Saphira removed herself from Eragon's body and returned control back to him.

"Next..." Eragon coughed as his voice returned to normal. "Ahem. Next time don't take so long." He said to her with a slight chuckle, making it so that whatever he had said passed 

over Saphira's head, as he didn't seem like he was taking it seriously. The rock that Saphira had been clinging to had receded so that she was hanging over a gap that she quickly dropped into. Once back on the ground she looked around her surroundings, as did Eragon.

The chamber they were in seemed to be a straight staircase that stretched downwards. As Saphira descended down the large steps it became apparent that the walls had once been decorated and maintained but, through age, the rock had flaked and crumbled. It took Saphira ten minutes to reach the bottom and they found themselves in a large antechamber with many connecting hallways, the majority of which had collapsed.

Skeletons were abundant on the floor, strange creatures that looked like apes but weren't at the same time. When Saphira nudged one to examine it the bones caved in and became a small pile of dust on the floor. _This place is old._ Saphira stated. _Older than the elves. _Eragon agreed but what could be older than the elves? The only way that they could continue was another staircase that spiralled upwards, a direction that Eragon guessed would take them to the centre of Helgrind's tallest peak.

Saphira began to climb it, skirting around a pool of green flowing liquid, whose source seemed to be the wall opposite the staircase. The staircase was narrower than the one they had used to enter and Saphira had to hold her wings tighter to her body, tunnelling Eragon's vision. The constructed stone work seemed to be one with the mountain and many turns led to unworked stone floors and walls which led to collapsed tunnels. The only way they could travel was upwards until eventually they came to a dead end.

_This seems pointless. All hallways and other staircases have collapsed and there is nowhere else to go. Obviously whatever was placed here for you to find was eons ago and time has claimed it for itself. I think it wise we forget this and return to the surface._

Eragon ignored her and concentrated on the rubble in front and above him. Between the cracks of the stone he could see amber light slipping through. He turned in the saddle and looked further down the staircase. About twenty steps down there was a change in colour from the steps that stretched even further down. "The steps we are on weren't supposed to be a part of the entire staircase. They must have been pushed here by the movement of the rock." Saphira examined the steps and came to the same conclusion.

_Yes and hallways branching off from the steps seem to stop where the steps change and there are no visible walls lining these as they are further down. The rock surrounding us has caved in once before. Maybe this was as high as the staircase was supposed to go._

"Yes." Eragon said. "But there is something beyond this rubble, look." Saphira noticed the amber light and she began to scratch at the dirt in front of her. It came away easily and Saphira began to dig through. Eragon shielded his eyes from the airborne dust but soon Saphira had made enough room to move on. When she stopped moving Eragon opened his eyes.

They were in the remains of another large chamber; one that Eragon assumed had been circular due to the structure of the remaining walls. Crumbled statues littered the floor and iron chains had begun to turn back into its ore. Saphira began to move through the chamber, heading to the source of the amber light. Eragon saw that it was coming from around a corner where it reflected off the walls and out into their eyes.

Saphira turned the corner and let out a low growl as Eragon gasped. The rubble had formed an alcove but the alcove wasn't empty. There was a large amber crystalline object embedded in it and contained within the crystal were two dragons and what appeared to be some sort of insect.

**Tell me what you think. I plan on having the next chapter done quicker than this one and 'hopefully' I plan on having the next one up on Sunday. By the way, if at any point you are confused by something due to the crossover do not hesitate to ask and I will answer your question or include the answer in the next chapter. R&R**


	4. Dragons revived

**I know that this is very late but I have had some problems with my computer. I have had to write this on the website so there may be many more mistakes in it than usual as it doesn't have a spell checker. I did try to be very careful with it but obviously a few mistakes would have slipped my notice and I apologize for that. My next chapters will be typed up properly with a processor so I should soon have a spell checker again. In any case I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Eragon stared at the two dragons in the crystal. They looked different than the dragons that he had seen, who all pretty much looked the same. It was hard to tell through the amber colour of the crystal what colour the dragons were but they were relatively similar, perhaps purple and red or black and brown. In any case Eragon felt that they were of different genders through how they looked.

The one he thought was male was facing towards Eragon and Saphira with his eyes closed, as if concentrating, his body upright, as if standing on his straight tail, and his wings outstretched. He had two ribbed horns on the side of his head which gradually curved backwards and upwards. He also had a spine in-between these horns and at the end of his tail was a leaf-shaped wedge. After staring at the male dragon Eragon turned his attention to the one he thought was the female one.

He thought she was female because her head and snout shape were thinner and more curved than the other's, whose snout was more squared and wider. She was turned slightly, although still upright, and she faced the male dragon, her wings frozen in a downwards flap. At the tip of these wings were curved blade-like appendages and she had one to match on her tail. Eragon looked at her head. She had six curved horns that got smaller as they framed her head, the largest ones at the top. They curved back behind her head. She too had her eyes closed but she seemed to be grimacing, clenching her teeth.

_They look so young. _Saphira said as she looked at them curiously._ They can't be much older than a day out of the egg. They do look different though, I have never seen such obvious differences between the sexes in dragons._

"Aye, so this must be what Solembum meant when he said 'when my power is insufficient'. With two new dragons our chance of succeeding against Galbatorix will greatly improve." Eragon got off Saphira and began to examine the crystal. He rubbed his hand along its smooth surface. He expected it to be cold but it was surprisingly warm, 'no doubt due to the two dragons encased inside', he thought to himself. Eragon began trying magic to break or remove the crystal but it resisted his attempts, as if magic had no hold on the material.

"It's no use, I can't free them. Magic doesn't work on the crystal and I doubt that it can be shattered and even if it could, we don't know how that would affect those two."

_Three, _Saphira corrected with a snort. _There are three trapped in the crystal. There is a strange looking insect with a face just above the male dragon's right horn._ Eragon remembered the insect and he examined it. He thought it looked like some sort of dragonfly but Saphira was right it did have a face and arms which were held up as if protecting its head.

Eragon tapped the crystal as he tried to work out an idea. Whilst he was doing this, Saphira felt the urge to press her snout against the crystal. As soon as she did so the crystal began to glow brighter until it blinded both her and Eragon. The light was so intense that it actually forced Saphira to step back, whilst Eragon had to shield his eyes with his arm as it shone through his eyelids. _What did you do?_ He asked her as he buried his head in one of her scaly armpits to escape the light.

_All I did was touch it._ She replied as she snaked her neck around her body and buried her head next to Eragon's. It took several minutes for the light to dissipate but several more for their eyes to recover from the afterimages. Once they were able to see clearly again they looked back to where the crystal was. It was gone and lying at the bottom of the alcove were the three creatures that were trapped inside. Eragon quickly climbed into the alcove and began examining the two dragons. The concentrated look of the male, which was purple with an orange underbelly, spines, wings and horns, and the grimacing snarl of the female, which was black with a red underbelly, wing membrane and white spines and horns, had disappeared and they looked as if they were sleeping peacefully. After Eragon had checked them and moved on to the strange insect, Saphira moved in and looked the dragons over to double check. A thought entered her mind, but only for a second, that this male purple dragon could be the mate she was looking for when he grew older.

Suddenly the chamber began to shake and dust and small rocks began to fall from the ceiling and scattered across the floor. The crystal had acted as a support to the ceiling and had prevented it from collapsing. Now that the crystal was gone the gaping hole the crystal had left behind had severely weakened the surrounding rock. Without comment Eragon quickly used magic to lift the two dragons on to Saphira's blood coated back and placed them where the blood present was relatively dry, but not quite. He then quickly picked up the strange insect and pocketed it. Eragon thought he heard it mumble but he had more important matters.

He quickly mounted Saphira and sat in the saddle, the two dragons piled on top of each other in front of him, and Saphira began a quick pace back down the spiral staircase. Just as she left the chamber, a large piece of rock missed her tail by inches as it crashed to the floor and uncovered another chamber exactly beneath the one the crystal was in. Eragon turned to look at this new chamber. It was circular like the one above but the statues that lined the walls were still standing, large stone dragon sentinels with green gem eyes looking down at the floor. Before Eragon could look any longer Saphira had already entered the staircase and began to descend.

She was careful but still made haste as the stairs were growing weaker as the mountain shook. The green flowing liquid began to leak out of the walls and flow down the staircase creating an aqueduct that threatened to topple Saphira. She managed to reach the bottom of the staircase before the liquid reached her but with nowhere for the liquid to go it began to pool and was beginning to fill the antechamber. _I suggest we fly out of here; the water is rising too fast for you to run out._ Saphira stretched her wings in response.

_Agreed._ Eragon made sure that the dragons in front of him were secure and then Saphira leapt into the air. She angled towards the exit and began to fly up the staircase. It was wide enough for her to fly if she remained in a straight line; if she went too far left or right her wing would fold against the wall and they would come to a painful stop against the stairs. With her skill and technique Saphira erupted out of the exit and into the open sky. Eragon turned back and saw that the vault of souls had sealed itself back up but Helgrind was still shaking as the catacombs inside began to collapse.

Eragon suddenly remembered something that made his blood run cold. _Saphira, Roran is still in the Ra'zac's cave. _Saphira didn't hesitate and turned back towards the Ra'zac's hidden entrance. The entrance was located on the third highest peak, the majority of which was hidden by the other two peaks in-between Saphira and the third peak. When Saphira managed to reach the entrance Eragon's face dropped. The green liquid from the mountain was flowing rapidly out of it and down the side of the mountain. Eragon opened his mind and began to search for his cousin. He expected the worst and almost missed the spark of life that belonged to Roran.

Eragon relayed this to Saphira who then circled back around the mountain to a pile of stone that had fallen from the top of the peak. Sat cross legged at the top of this pile was Roran, nursing what looked to be a broken arm. He stood up as Saphira approached and, as she landed, quickly climbed up onto her back behind Eragon, wincing as his arm moved. "You're the cause of this aren't you?" He said to Eragon whilst Saphira took off again.

"We may have caused it but I believe it was worth it." He indicated to the two sleeping dragons in front of him and Roran just gaped at them.

"Where did they come from? I thought Saphira was the last female and she certainly wasn't pregnant when you left me in the cave."

_No Roran, they are not mine, and even if they were they would be eggs, which also means that I don't become pregnant, I become gravid._ Eragon laughed as Roran apologized and he began to tell him what had exactly happened in the depths of Helgrind.

--

Saphira quickly left the area around Helgrind, as the people of Dras-Leona were certain to have seen what had happened to the black mountain and the barbaric cult that worshipped it were sure to investigate. Galbatorix would be notified of the incident and Eragon assumed that it would invoke a personal visit by the King to investigate and both he and Saphira agreed that it would be a very bad turn of events if they were captured along with the two young dragons nestled on Saphira's back.

Saphira could not travel far though with four heavy loads so she had to stop in Silverwood forest before she could head south to Aberon. They were in a largish clearing after Eragon had removed a few trees with magic so that Saphira could rest comfortably. Roran's arm was now in a sling and Eragon had done all he could to numb the pain; he was not yet proficient enough to heal broken bones. The two dragons had been taken off Saphira and laid down next to each other by the mighty dragoness, who watched them constantly. Eragon had placed the dragonfly on top of the black dragoness as he was unsure whether it should be kept apart from the two.

"Are you sure that they are alright? They haven't woken up yet but they do mumble every now and then." Roran said as he looked at the two dragons. Eragon got up from where he was lying, staring at the sky, and walked over to the sleeping dragons. He knelt down and listened carefully. Sure enough they were mumbling, but they were doing so with such incoherence that Eragon could make neither heads nor tails of it. The dragonfly was the worst however; all it did was quietly scream to itself with its eyes still closed.

_Perhaps they are just dreaming, who knows how long they were trapped in their with nothing but their own thoughts._ Eragon shrugged, until they woke up the only thing he, Saphira and Roran could do was speculate. Eragon even tried to enter their minds whilst they slept, as he did when he rescued Arya, but for some reason there were barriers around each of the creatures' minds, something which was unheard of whilst people were unconscious. He tapped the purple one on the forehead but it didn't even stir.

"Well we'll just have to wait until they recover. Until then what are we to do now. If we reveal these dragons to the wrong people then it could cause problems." Saphira repositioned herself to get more comfortable and then looked at Eragon.

_Considering the circumstances, I would believe it to be wise to drop Roran off on the outskirts of the city, so that nobody discovers these two. _She indicated to the two sleeping dragons._ If anybody asks about why we didn't come into the city Roran can explain that we didn't want to be delayed in our return to Ellesmera. _Eragon nodded, mainly because he couldn't think of a different plan, Saphira always came up with the ideas. Roran however could think of a problem with the plan.

"And what's going to happen to Katrina? Are you just going to leave her whilst you go off into the forest with the elves." Eragon looked at Roran and Roran could see in his eyes that he wasn't going to help him.

"Roran I can't do anything if she is with Galbatorix. Saphira and I are not powerful enough to confront him and we still have much to learn, not to mention the training these dragons are going to have to recieve." Eragon paused waiting for Roran to speak but when he didn't he carried on. "I know she means the world to you right now, Roran, and you have done incredible things to come this far to save her, but you must understand that there may be a chance you will never see her again." Saphira turned her head away as Roran charged at Eragon, she wasn;t going to get involved, this was between them.

Eragon's face showed surprise as he saw Roran dash towards him, he was so shocked that he didn't have time to avoid the swift punch that landed in his gut. As Eragon coughed and keeled over, Roran delivered another punch to the back of Eragon's head, knocking him to the floor. "How could you even suggest that I get over Katrina. I would move the world for her and that blasted king will not get in my way. I thought that you would help me but now I see that you are a coward." This angred Eragon. 'How can he call me a coward after all I have done.' He thought as he began to rise, fists clenched. 'I have kept a dragon, which effectively placed a death sentance on my head, fought in two battles, trained with the elves and even fought my friend and brother.'

Now to his feet, Eragon took a swift jab at Roran. This would have merely caused a minor pain to Roran when they were younger but now, with his elven strength, the punch sent Roran on his back, the wind knocked out of him as he landed. Eragon realised what he had done and quickly offered a hand to Roran to help him up. He took the offer and was soon on his feet, hunched over trying to catch his breath. Saphira turned back to them. _Now that you have both made your points, I think you should stop befor I get involved._ The two cousins looked at the mighty blue dragon that was now disciplining them like children._ Eragon, Roran was right to hit you. You could have been more tactful when stating the truth that Roran probably already knew in his heart. _Eragon lowered his head slightly, unable to meet her gaze. _And Roran, Eragon had the right to hit you back. You have no idea what Eragon has been through over the past two years. Before his transformation Eragon had a severe disability that caused him incredible pain if he over exerted himself, which, due to his training, happened sometimes five times a day. _Unlike Eragon, Roran was able to meet Saphira's gaze, it was Eragon's he couldn't face.

The two cousins remained silent until Saphira nudged Eragon towards Roran with her head. Eragon reluctantly walked towards Roran, muttered, "I'm Sorry," and held out his hand. Roran looked at Eragon and then down at his outstretched hand. A few seconds passed but finally Roran grasped Eragons with his own hand and they both grinned at each other. "I'm sure she will be fine Roran. When I'm ready I will save her."

"I was wrong, you're not a coward." Roran simply said in reply. Saphira snorted, obviously satisfied with their apologies.

_Now let us be going, Eragon, if you wouldn't mind placing these two on my back. _Eragon shook his head.

"No, I don't think they will appreciate it if they woke up and found themselves covered in more of your blood. Go for a swim and then we will go." Saphira glared at Eragon; he had basically told her to go and take a bath. She spread her wings and lunged forwards. Roran dived out of the way as Saphira shot along the ground, scooped up Eragon in her claws and rose up into the air. Eragon struggled in her claws but stopped when he realised how high he was.

_What are you doing._ He said to her mentally, as his voice wouldn't reach her over her wings.

_You are not the only one who is going to take a bath, you are covered in just as much of my blood as I am. _Eragon saw the large lake quickly approaching and he yelled out as she dropped him twenty feet above its surface. He landed with a splash and was hit by a large wave when he surfaced as Saphira dived in next to him. She dived down to the lake bottom, scraped her feet against the lake bed, and then shot back up, slowing down just enough so that only the top of her head breached the water line. _If you wouldn't mind scrubbing my scales. _She said to him whilst he trod water. He sighed in exasperation but complied.

Roran was adjusting his sling when he heard Saphira returning. He shielded his eyes from the reflection of the sun off her now dazzling scales. When she landed, Eragon jumped off her back dripping wet. "Why did she take you off like that?" Roran asked. Eragon gave Saphira a sharp nudge to her side, which to her was more like a tap, and then looked at Roran.

"She needed someone to scrub her scales." He said. Roran tried to hold back a laugh but couldn't resist. Eragon glared back at him and then began to put away the things that Roran had left out. Soon they were all ready to go and Eragon used magic to lift the two sleeping dragons onto Saphira's back. He climbed into the saddle and secured them down. There wasn't enough room for the two dragons to lie next to each other so Eragon hoped that they didn't mind being piled up, the purple one on the bottom, the black one on top of him and the dragonfly strapped down to her back. Once secured Eragon helped Roran up and after they were both settled Eragon told Saphira that they were ready. She crouched down, leapt into the air, and then spread her wings, quickly rising and then turning south to Aberon.

--

Saphira had done as she said she would and dropped Roran off about a league away from Aberon. The guards had seen her land and had begun to approach, so she didn't stay down long. Eragon and Roran exchanged quick goodbyes and then they parted ways, Roran heading towards the approaching soldiers and Eragon being carried off by Saphira. The sun was setting on the horizon as Saphira soared high above the ground. The way to Ellesmera involved travelling through the desert, which froze its inhabitants during the night. Because of this, Saphira headed east a little ways and then skirted along the Boers until she found a sheltered area to set up a camp.

The area was ideal as the mountains encircled it meaning that any fire Eragon set up would not be seen from the direction of the Empire, meaning that they would not be discovered for the time that they stayed there. Whilst Saphira went to hunt, Eragon gathered dead wood and piled it up. "Brisingr." He muttered and the wood was soon burning with a blue flame which slowly changed to the usual colour of fire as the magic ran out and the wood began to sustain it. Now with a working fire, Eragon pulled out a small pot from one of his packs, filled it with water from the nearby stream and began to boil the water. Once steam was visible he placed several herbs, vegetables and seasonings in to the water and began to stir the broth with a wooden spoon. His meal was ready just as Saphira returned with a gazelle in her claws and the remains of one being crunched in her maw.

They both sat in silence as they ate their respective meals until they heard a noise. Eragon looked up from his broth and Saphira stopped eating, a large piece of flesh hanging between her teeth. They heard the noise again, a low moan, and they both stood up, Saphira quickly jerking her head and swallowing the meat. They looked at the two dragons that they had placed next to Eragon's packs and were startled to see them stir and open their eyes.

**Any problems with this chapter don't hesitate to point them out, please. I hope you enjoyed it enough to leave me a review as I do enjoy reading them and I do try and reply to everyone who sends me one. Once again if anything is unclear then ask me about it and I will try and answer it in a reply or include the answer in a future chapter. Thanks for reading and please review.**


	5. Past and Present

**Sorry I took so long for this chapter but it was incredibly difficult to write, I had to scrap it and start over twice. I hope it makes as much sense to you all as it does to me. Enjoy.**

Spyro slowly began to open his eyes. For the past day he'd been unable to move and could handle nothing more than a few twitches. He had drifted in and out of consciousness three times, the first was accompanied with the sound of falling rocks, the second was accompanied with what he would have thought was a fight, and the third, he could have sworn he was flying.

He soon discovered that it was night as he peered around the area and he next noticed that he wasn't within the well of souls, he was in a clearing bordered by mountains, 'The Tall Plains,' he mused. He remembered what he had done. Using his power over time, he slowed down his, Cynder's and Sparx's rate of growth to an incredibly slow rate and sealed them and himself in a pocket of frozen time. It was the only way they could have survived the destruction of the mountain of Malefor and now that he was awaken he knew that Ignitus and the other guardians had found him.

He couldn't move much as he was still too weak but he managed to turn his head and found himself staring into Cynder's eyes. Cynder had woken not long after Spyro and the first thing she became aware of was that something was on her back, which irritated her but she couldn't do anything to make it move as she was also too weak. She was aware of what Spyro had done but she didn't know the specifics, all she knew was that somehow he had saved her again, which made her feel weak compared to him.

'I couldn't beat him whilst under the influence of the Dark Master and even when I saved him from the same fate he goes and does one better and saves us all from death.' She thought to herself as he turned his head and met her gaze. They couldn't really move, as there muscles hadn't been stretched and exercised in who knows how long so all they could do was wait until they felt strong enough. Suddenly though something brought their attention from each other. A series of large thuds that caused the ground to shake slightly. Spyro saw Cynder's eyes widen and her pupils contract out of fear.

Spyro moved his head to the opposite direction and found himself staring at a very large, clawed and blue scaled foot. He lifted his head slightly and met the gaze of an enormous beast with sapphire coloured eyes. He felt something pushing against his thoughts, he couldn't explain it but he was certain that it was this giant standing before him. It was an odd sensation, like having your own thoughts pushed aside whilst another tries to take it's place. He fought against it by pushing back with a volley of his own thoughts and found himself having memories that he had never had before. He recoiled and suddenly had the strength to stand to his feet through fear.

The beast didn't move as he limped towards Cynder and began to move her with his snout. "Get up, we can't stay here." He cautiously looked back at the beast and could have sworn he saw surprise etched into it's face. A flash of movement by it's side caught Spyro's attention and he was dismayed to see another creature that stood on two legs with a hand pressed against the beast's side. "We have to go before more turn up." He said once again, managing to lift Cynder up and rousing Sparx.

"Wh-what's happening?" Sparx asked as he propped himself up on Cynder's back. He then realised where he was and he then proceeded to scream. "The evil she-dragon!" He then fell back down on to her back again, fainted.

Cynder growled slightly at the irritating insect but then turned her attention back to the two creatures in front of her. The huge beast looked like a dragon but there was no way that that was what it was, it was far to big and looked feral. She turned her attention to the smaller creature by the beast's right foreleg. It looked like an ape but had a smaller face and a lot less hair, it was taller too. She began to limp backwards with Spyro, keeping her attention on the creatures. She grew frightened as the large beast stepped forwards and the ape raised it's hand , revealing a strange pattern of silver skin on its palm.

Spyro was cautious of this in case it was an attack but all the ape did was speak. The words were strange to both Spyro and Cynder but for some reason they seemed to understand the meaning of the words without actually knowing them. They stopped retreating, now with a sense that the two creatures weren't going to harm them.

--

Eragon and Saphira were surprised that the two dragons could speak with their mouths, Eragon knew that they had been mumbling before but couldn't make out any words and so assumed that they were just quietly making growling noises. Saphira had tried to speak with the purple dragon but she was pushed away from his mind with such force that he had forced his way into her mind before quickly retreating, as if terrified.

They were both worried when it became obvious that the two dragons were terrified of both Eragon and Saphira and Eragon had to resort to using the Ancient Language to tell them that they meant no harm. Once he had finished, the two dragons seemed to calm down slightly, but they were still wary of the two. Saphira took another step forward but this time the two dragons didn't move._ I think they know that we won't hurt them._ Eragon looked up at her.

"I think you're right but I was surprised that they could talk like me." Saphira nodded.

_I don't think that they are typical hatchlings. They act older than they should and I have a feeling that they both have experienced some terrible things._

"Yes, well I suppose the best thing we can do is speak with them, but I don't think you should be the one to do it. Having you speak into their minds might be perceived as a threat." Saphira agreed and they both turned back to the dragons, who had both cocked their heads in confusion and had been watching them carefully. Eragon took a step closer and smiled, he thought he would begin simply. "Hello."

Spyro and Cynder looked at him, as the voice was definitely male, for a few more seconds before Cynder gained the confidence to speak. "Hello." She replied back. Eragon and Cynder had both spoken with strange accents but the words were still understandable. "Can you speak with that?" Cynder asked him and indicated to Saphira, who snorted at being called 'that'. Eragon smiled.

"Yes, I can, and she would like to speak with you if you would let her." Cynder looked carefully at the large creature, that she now knew was female.

"Hello." She said to her whilst Spyro picked up Sparx off Cynder's back and proceeded to try and wake him. Cynder then felt a pressure in her mind but before she could do anything about it the pressure disappeared and a voice replaced it.

_Hello, little one. I tried to do this with the purple one but he pushed me away. For future reference, I am not a that I am a dragoness, just like yourself. _Cynder shook her head in disbelief.

"You can't be a dragon, dragons don't grow that big and you certainly don't look like a dragoness if you were, plus why do you speak with your mind and not with your mouth." Spyro left Sparx alone when he heard Cynder mention that the beast in front of them was a dragon, even Terridor, the earth guardian, wasn't that big.

_I do not know why you look different to me and I do not know why you have the ability of vocalized speech but I assure you that I am a dragoness. You probably feel daunted by my size as you are only a couple of days old and have not seen any other dragons. _This was spoken to both Cynder and Spyro and this time Spyro spoke.

"We are not a few days old, we have been out of our eggs for quite a few years and we definitely have seen other adult dragons that were half the size as you and grew no bigger." Spyro also spoke with a thick accent and both his and Cynder's accents were elegant whereas Eragon's sounded rough compared to theirs.

"So, you are saying that you are not dragon hatchlings and that you have never seen a dragon as big as Saphira?" Eragon asked trying to make sense of the situation.

"That's right," Cynder replied, "We have seen only four adult dragons but they were powerful and had reached their growth limit, they were definitely smaller than…her"

_For as far back as my hereditary memories go, dragons have always been like me, unfading, living forever, with the potential to grow bigger than a mountain. I do not know why you are different or why you were sealed away in that crystal but I do know this; you two, myself, and four other dragons are the only survivors of our race._ At the mention of this both Spyro's and Cynder's mouths hung agape and they stared at Saphira.

"B-but how? Did Malefor escape?" Spyro asked, receiving confused looks from both Eragon and Saphira.

"Who is Malefor?" Eragon asked. "And why would you think whoever that is would be responsible?"

"Malefor, the Dark Master. You don't know who that is?" Cynder asked. Eragon shook his head and Saphira had no recollection of that name. Spyro and Cynder found it hard to believe that they had found two beings that had never heard of the greatest threat to the dragon realms.

"Malefor, or the Dark Master, is a purple dragon, like me." Spyro said.

Saphira interrupted. _Why does him having purple scales have anything to do with it._ Spyro didn't believe that they had not heard about purple dragons either. He didn't want to tell them how special purple dragons were because he himself was one and he didn't want to sound arrogant. He looked at Cynder, who got the message and continued for him.

"The purple dragon is a rare dragon with the ability to master all of the elements and other powers, such as the one Spyro used to save us." She said, causing Spyro to blush slightly. "So he can breath fire, your ice breath, he has power of electricity and over earth. He probably has the potential to learn more, such as wind, light and darkness."

Eragon was sceptical of this. From what Oromis had told him, purple dragons were not rare and he knew that dragons could definitely not breath anything but fire. _What do you mean my ice breath. _Saphira said, which confused both Spyro and Cynder, Sparx was still passed out next to Spyro, twitching. _I only have dragon fire within my belly._ Saphira proved her point by expelling a blue jet of flame at a rock face, scorching the lichen growing on it and filling the air with the resulting foul smell.

"But you are a blue dragon, you should only be able to breath ice." Spyro said, thinking about the blue master of ice that was Cyril.

"No, as far as I know, dragons have always solely breathed fire despite what colour their scales, and purple dragons are just as ordinary and as common as any of the other dragons." At this point Spyro began to wonder just how long he and Cynder were encased in the time crystal.

"What are the state of the dragon realms?" He asked. "I see that we are in the tall plains, although we are in a part that I've never seen before."

_There are no dragon realms. This is the land of Alagaesia, and we are currently on the south of that continent in the Beor Mountains. _Spyro and Cynder scoffed.

"What do you mean there are no dragon realms. I think that me and Cynder should leave and return to the dragon temple. You said that there are four other dragons alive other than ourselves which I assume are Ignitus and the other guardians." Eragon looked at Saphira who looked back at him with worry in her eyes. They spoke together briefly. _I think that these dragons have never set foot on Alagaesia before. _

_Yes Eragon. I do not know why they believe that the purple one possess so much power and I don't think that they have been in contact with the outside world in who knows how long._

Spyro and Cynder watched the two looking at each other, guessing that they were discussing mentally, which still confused them. They brought their heads together so that they could whisper without the two overhearing them. "Who do you think these two are?" Spyro asked.

"I don't know." Cynder replied glancing at the two who were still discussing. "I believe the female when she tells me she is a dragon, she smells like one, but the ape confuses me." Spyro nodded in agreement.

"He walks like one but he doesn't look like one, for starters he's hairless and stands too tall."

"Not to mention the fact that he smells almost exactly like she does, her scent is all over him."

"Perhaps they're mates." Spyro joked, which caused Cynder to smirk, but only slightly.

"Don't be silly, she's wearing a saddle, he probably just rides her." The two couldn't help but laugh, which was odd for Cynder as she had not had a reason to in so long. The noise of the too young dragons' laughter brought Eragon and Saphira's attention back to them.

"What's so funny, Cynder?" Eragon asked as he looked at the young, black dragoness. Cynder had forgotten that Spyro had revealed her name to the two strangers.

"N-nothing." She answered. "I see that you now know my name and I think it is only fair that you should tell me and Spyro who you are."

Eragon smiled. "Of course, Cynder. My name is Eragon Shadeslayer and this is Saphira Brightscales. We are Shur'tugal, which means dragon rider. Me and Saphira are bonded on a very intimate level, we share our hearts, feelings, thoughts. If I die then so does she, however, if she dies, I will live, although life wouldn't really be worth living without her."

Spyro looked at Cynder and grinned. "So are you two…physical?" She asked, a slight blush creeping on to her face. Eragon and Saphira looked at them with confused looks. "You said you were…intimate." It suddenly dawned on them what Cynder was talking about.

"By the gods, no. For starters we aren't of the same species, secondly she is, at the most, a hundred times the size of me."

_And thirdly, we are definately not interested in each other that way, we have both had romantic feelings for others, unfortunately we were both turned down._

"Ah, I see. Well, Eragon, could you take us to the dragon temple, we would like to speak to the four dragon guardians." Eragon looked at Cynder with a blank expression.

"Cynder, Spyro, we do not know where you have come from. We found you in a mountain called Helgrind in a place we believe is called the Vault of Souls. We ventured there to obtain a power to help us. We had no idea that this power was two new dragons. You speak of dragon realms and a dragon temple but believe me when I tell you that there are no dragon realms, there is no dragon temple and the four dragons we spoke of are not dragon guardians."

Spyro and Cynder began to panic. "The last thing I remember before I sealed us in a pocket of time was the mountain of Malefor, also known as the Well of Souls, collapsing around us. I planned the time crystal to protect us for three years."

_Thousands of years ago there was still no dragon realms or dragon temples. The similarity between the Vault of Souls and the Well of Souls is unmistakable. There was evidence of a collapsed tower inside Helgrind, which could have been the Mountain of Malefor. This however would have happened eons ago. _Cynder and Spyro lost the strength to stand. They both fell on their bellies as the reality of what had happened hit them. _I am sorry, little ones, but whatever past life you had is long gone._

Eragon approached the two shocked dragons and sat down in front of them. "You spoke of Malefor. You believe he was a great threat, perhaps he had something to do with your imprisonment." Spyro nodded, not really listening. "Our own history tells us that the dragons were the first natives to Alagaesia. If that is true then you two are the dragons as they were all those eons ago. I am a human, there are other races living on this land, elves and dwarfs, as well as a few others."

Saphira crouched down and next to Eragon and looked at the two dragons. _You are different to me, that much is obvious. There are four more dragons other than myself, two are against me, one is training me and another is still unhatched. You two will be the cause of much turmoil if you are discovered by the king and his Empire, I do not believe that I have the right to tell you what to do but I hope you will join me and Eragon on our journey to complete our training._

Cynder looked at Eragon and Saphira. "We know nothing of what is happening in your world. How can you expect us to make any decision that involves interacting with the creatures of this time? We should just go into seclusion to avoid creating turmoil."

Eragon shook his head. "There is a war raging, Cynder. Over a hundred years ago the dragon riders ruled this land. One rider named Galbatorix became insane and destroyed the rest, as well as the dragon race. That rider then took the position of king of Alagaesia and created the Empire that is here to this day. The king however is corrupt, the people of his empire live in squalor and they cannot wait for him to die like any other king, as he will live forever like myself and Saphira. I am a member of a resistance called the Varden, who are fighting against the King to liberate Alagaesia. I can tell you more if you choose to accompany us, if only for a short while, but if you are discovered by the king you will be given an unbiased history that supports him. I know that you may not feel you can trust us but you can, Vel eïnradhin iet ai Shur'tugal"

Again these strange words struck Spyro and Cynder and they felt that Eragon wasn't lying. Spyro rose up and sat on his haunches. "I think we should go with you. Even if we only follow you for a short while, we know nothing about this place and it makes sense to gain a bit of knowledge."

Eragon smiled and Saphira hummed happily. _That is good. We will protect you for as long as you stay with us and we hope we can persuade you to stay until we reach Ellesmera, where you will be safe for a time. Of course, we will tell you what we know of our recent history and tell you about the struggles we face. Until then let me hunt for you, I am sure you are hungry. _As if a response to this, a small rumble could be heard from Spyro's stomach. Cynder rolled her eyes whilst Spyro blushed.

Saphira took flight, almost blowing the two small dragon away with the gusts created by her wings. Eragon was left alone with them and he returned to his broth. He ate it quickly before it grew cold and then asked the two a question. "What is that on the floor beside you?" Spyro looked to where Eragon was pointing and saw Sparx, still twitching and oblivious to what was occurring around him.

"That's Sparx, he's a dragonfly, do you not have them here?" Eragon shook his head.

"We have dragonflies but not like that." Eragon spoke in the ancient language. "Dragonfly come to me, I will not harm you." Spyro and Cynder watched as a red dragonfly landed on Eragon's outstretched palm. "These, are our dragonflies."

"What is that language you keep using?" Cynder asked, confused at why the strange dragonfly had come to him.

"It is the ancient language. It allows the people who know it and are capable of to use magic. It also prevents people from lying when used. I told the dragonfly that I would not hurt it, and even though it didn't know what the words were it knew their meanings. I did the same to you two, when I told you that I was a rider and friend and when I swore upon my word as a rider."

"You can use magic?" Spyro asked, uninterested in the meaning of the ancient language.

"Yes, brisingr!" A blue flame erupted on to a fallen branch and began to burn. Spyro and Cynder watched in awe. "Not all people can use magic but most elves can and all dragon riders have the strongest proficiency in magic. Now, I have shown you my power, I understand that you, Spyro, have your own powers, may I see?"

Spyro stood up and grinned. "The purple dragon is…was a rare breed that could use all the elements that others could use. Usually a dragon can only use one element depending on it's colour, for example, red for fire and blue for ice." Spyro the proceeded to send out a stream of frozen ice breath to the log that Eragon had burned. The fire went out and the log developed a frosty coating. Spyro then shot a ball of flame at the log, melting the frost.

"That is amazing, I have never seen anything like it." Eragon said as he gazed at the damp log.

_Nor I._ Saphira said as she landed with a limp gazelle in her mouth. She dropped it roughly, Spyro and Cynder looking at it with disgust. _I wish to see what other powers you possess, little one, but please do eat first. _Spyro and Cynder cautiously approached the large, dead animal. They weren't used to eating things like this, usually whatever they ate was much smaller and they had never shared a meal before. _It really is quite tasty._ Saphira reassured. Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and then took position at opposite sides of the carcass and as far away from each other as possible, so as to not interfere with each other. They then proceeded to eat.

**What did you think? This story is in the most danger out of the two that I have posted and I truley need feedback on it to ensure that I'm doing it right. Crossovers are incredibly hard to make sense and I need to know what you think, please review and offer me constructive critisism or at least a well done to keep me motivated.**


	6. To Ellesmera

**Sorry for the wait but here it is, enjoy.**

The night had been quite awkward. Eragon and Saphira noticed that Spyro and Cynder refused to eat the flesh of the gazelle in the middle, leaving a gap between the two small dragons. When they had finished Saphira disposed of the left over carcass and when she returned she found that the dragons also lay apart from each other. She guessed that they were either not as close as she thought they were or they had had an argument, the latter being disproved by Eragon, who had been with them the entire time.

Sparx had also woken up. He had screamed at the sight of Saphira and called Cynder all sorts of names but soon he had quietened down and then sat with Spyro, where they conversed. Cynder had been left alone. Eragon and Saphira tried to speak with her but they couldn't get her to say anything more than a few words. She would answer Spyro's questions but she would never start a conversation with him.

When they turned in for the night, Eragon slept by Saphira. They watched as Spyro and Sparx slept where they were lying whereas Cynder sauntered off to a tree away from the others and slept there. She seemed more distant than she had been previously and seemed to have a lot on her mind. After they all went to sleep Eragon woke once to the sound of Cynder twitching and grimacing in her sleep. Without truly knowing her he didn't think it would be appropriate to wake her and ask her what was wrong.

--

The sun shone on Spyro's purple eyelids, the glare forcing him awake. He lifted his head and yawned. Upon seeing Saphira sleeping in font of him, his memory returned. He carefully stood up, disturbing Sparx. "Keep doom and gloom away from me…" He muttered as he turned to his side and carried on sleeping. Spyro carefully tried to sneak over to Cynder to wake her but he became aware that Eragon was watching him.

"Good morning, Spyro." He said with a smile. "How was your night?" Spyro smiled back, and walked towards Eragon, who was packing away the equipment he used the night before.

"I can't complain, how long have you been awake?" Spyro asked as he watched Eragon clean the pot he had used the night before with magic and store it away.

"I don't really sleep anymore, I sort off just rest. Although you could say that I've been awake as long as you." Spyro really didn't understand but he nodded anyway. "If it's not to rude of me to ask, how do you and Cynder know each other?" Eragon asked as he finished packing. Saphira had awakened also but kept her eyes closed to listen in secret.

Spyro seemed slightly taken aback by the question. He looked at Cynder who was still asleep by the tree and considered answering. "Well we were from the same brood of eggs and one night the temple was attacked. My egg was hidden away by Ignitus, he was the master of fire and one of the four dragon guardians. During the raid, the rest of the eggs were smashed except for Cynder's, which was taken by the raiders."

Eragon sat down against Saphira and crossed his legs._ What happened then?_ Saphira asked, startling both Eragon and Spyro.

"My egg was found by two dragonflies who raised me as their own, Sparx is my brother through them. When I grew older I found Ignitus after I left on a journey after I discovered I wasn't a dragonfly. He told me that all the dragon's were losing a war against a mighty and cruel dragoness. That dragoness was Cynder." Eragon gave a confused look and then glanced at Cynder.

"How is that possible, she's still so young?" Spyro nodded.

"Upon hatching, she was corrupted by the Dark Master and this corruption caused her to grow quickly to adult form and serve the Dark Master unquestionably." Saphira began to growl, which caused Spyro to grow rigid. "She isn't corrupted anymore. Cynder and I fought in Convexity, the Dark Master's prison, where I defeated her. Once I did she returned back to her normal age and I saved her from becoming trapped with Malefor." Saphira stopped growling but still stared at the sleeping form of Cynder.

"And I take it that you two aren't particularly close, your behaviour seems to indicate that." Eragon stated.

"Well she isn't a very open person, all she has ever known is hurt and distrust. I consider her my friend but I don't think she knows what a friend really is." Cynder began to stir and everyone froze as they watched her. She lifted her head, yawned, stretched her wings and then returned to sleep.

_Can she be trusted?_ Saphira asked. Eragon wished she would be more tactful but he knew her question was valid.

"Of course she can. She saved me from being corrupted like she was, if it wasn't for her we wouldn't be here."

_And how were you almost corrupted? _Saphira asked, now distrustful of Spyro.

Spyro grew slightly anxious. "In the well of souls I was exposed to energy from convexity, which corrupted me. Using that power I destroyed the ape king Gaul and when I tried to fight the corruption afterwards I couldn't. Cynder dived at me and knocked me out of the energy, returning me to normal, but by then it was too late, the mountain was collapsing and the only thing I could do was seal us away in the time crystal." Another yawn caught their attention and they all turned to see Cynder, slowly rising to her feet.

Cynder stretched and then fixed her eyes on the group. Spyro was looking at her curiously. "What?" She asked.

"You're different." He said as he gazed at her.

"What do you mean different?" She took a closer look at him and realised he looked different too. "So are you, you look…older."

"You too." Eragon and Saphira looked confused. They hadn't looked at the two dragons carefully the night before and couldn't see any differences, although they did look a bigger. "The crystal must have carried on aging us but we couldn't change inside the crystal so our bodies must have caught up last night."

_Then shouldn't you be much bigger, you were trapped in that crystal for a very long time? _Saphira asked. Spyro shook his head.

"I only intended the crystal to protect us for three years, after that it was Malefor's magic, which I doubt he designed to be anything more than a trap." He said as he looked at his longer tail, and his broader chest.

Cynder stretched her wings, they were much longer and looked like they could carry her weight a lot easier. "So you're saying that the both of us are three years older." Spyro looked at his own larger wings.

"It looks like it." Spyro took flight and quickly ascended. He then began to weave in and out of turns, laughing at how much easier he found flying. It wasn't long until Cynder was doing the same, although she was much more reserved and elegant in her form. Saphira watched the two carefully until she turned to Eragon.

_Would you like to help them practice?_ She asked. Eragon smiled and jumped on the saddle on her back. Three mighty thrusts of her wings later and Saphira was quickly gaining distance on the two small dragons. Cynder saw Saphira coming first and immediately thought that she was attacking. Spyro remained oblivious as Saphira gained on him, he was too busy doing barrel rolls in the sky. He was hit in the side roughly and felt a rush of wind go up his right side. By the time he corrected himself he saw Cynder flying next to him and Saphira above them, circling round for another go.

"She's attacking us." Cynder yelled at him as she pushed him again to get moving. Spyro didn't hesitate and quickly shot towards the ground trying to evade the giant dragon.

_I'm not attacking you, little ones, I'm just seeing how skilful you are in the air. _With that, Saphira folded her wings and dropped like a stone before spreading them once again, flying level with the ground. Spyro and Cynder were shocked by how fast she was, but they had an advantage, they were smaller so therefore more agile.

They slowed down slightly, staying close together. When Saphira grew close enough that she could bite their tails if she wanted too, they hugged the ground causing Saphira to fly right over them. Spyro now getting brave fired an ice breath at Saphira's tail, freezing it into place. She roared in surprise as she lost her method of control and came to a crash on the floor, struggling to prevent herself from crushing Eragon.

Now on the floor Saphira stood up and looked at her tail. It had a layer of ice stretching along its length and stopping just before it reached her hindquarters. She lifted her tail and crashed it into the ground, shattering the ice and freeing her tail. The effects of the cold were still evident though and she trembled slightly at the loss of temperature. Spyro and Cynder landed close by, a look of apprehension on both their faces. But Saphira didn't yell at them or try and attack them. A deep grating sound, like two rocks scraping together, could be heard from her throat and it took them a while to figure out that she was laughing.

_I have never been beaten like that before, well done. _Eragon jumped off Saphira and inspected her tail. It was cold to the touch but was other wise undamaged.

"Sorry." Spyro said with his head down. "I just did what I felt was the right thing to do at the time."

_Don't apologise for your instincts Spyro, they may save your life someday. But if you wish to make it up to me, I am curious to know what other powers you possess. _Spyro nodded and made his way to a tree that Saphira had knocked down when she fell. When he reached it he sat on his haunches and shot a blast of electrical energy at the tree. Bolts of yellow lightning danced on the surface, incinerating the leaves and creating small holes in the bark. Saphira and Eragon watched in awe as the tree sizzled slightly until Spyro stopped and closed his jaws with a snap.

He then took several steps backwards, braced himself and shot open his mouth again, throwing out an enormous green energy ball, which seemed to be attached to his mouth on a strand of green energy. 'Like some sort of flail.' Eragon thought to himself. The flail impacted the tree, breaking it in two. Spyro then spun around, dragging the flail with him till it faced the opposite direction to the tree pieces. He then swung his head upwards and quickly spun his body around to face the tree. The flail arched over his head and came crashing down into the earth, causing large shock waves to radiate from the impact. These shockwaves completely destroyed the tree, large splinters littering the floor.

Having seen all this before Cynder was unphased by Spyro's show of strength and raw power but Eragon and Saphira were wide eyed. _With a power like that an army wouldn't stand a chance. _Eragon said to Saphira.

_Aye, that is of course if they choose to join us. If they joined Galbatorix I don't think that we would have a chance to win, even I don't want to have to fight him. _She curled her tail around to her front and placed one of her claws on top of it as she said this. _I really don't want to be frozen again, it was cold. _

Eragon chuckled. _I think that's the point._ Saphira growled at him slightly. "Is that everything you know?" Eragon asked, hoping that it was and wasn't at the same time.

"That's it, Fire, Ice, Electricity and Earth. I can also manipulate time but you knew that already. I can learn more but without any dragon masters to teach me I don't think I'll be able to."

"If he's ever exposed to dark energy again he will learn a lot more…destructive traits and abilities but I doubt that will happen, without the Dark Master here." Cynder added, causing Spyro to remember how he had turned Gaul to stone and shattered him, he also remembered enjoying it too, causing him to shudder.

"No. I don't want to learn those abilities." Spyro said, with nothing but finality in his voice.

"I was only stating a fact, Spyro, I never said that you intended to." Cynder replied, a tone of defence in her own voice. Eragon and Saphira noticed this and thought it best to change the subject.

"Well now that there is nothing more to do here and we are fully awake, shall we get going." Spyro and Cynder looked away from each other and turned to Eragon.

"How do we get to this Ellesmera as you call it?" Cynder asked.

"And how far is it?" Spyro added.

_We will travel north through the desert to avoid detection from the empire. It will take about two days, depending on how far you two can travel without rest. Once we leave the desert we will be on the boarders of Du Weldenvarden, a vast forest that stretches along the northern boarders of Alagaesia, it is also the home of the elves and is protected by their magic. Ellesmera is one of their cities inside the forest. _

"And what will become of us there?" Cynder asked, wary of betrayal.

"Saphira and I believe it best we keep you secret from the major populations and to only reveal you to a select few. When we get to Ellesmera we will take you directly to…someone we trust wholeheartedly." Cynder didn't seem happy with this answer but a few quick words from Eragon in the ancient language convinced her that they still meant no harm, she still didn't understand why she felt that though.

_Are we ready to leave then?_ Saphira asked, stretching her wings in her eagerness to do so.

--

The great black form of Shruikan descended on the castle courtyard of Urû'baen. Galbatorix was not happy. He had had to leave his castle and travel to Helgrind after word of what had happened there reached him. Shruikan dropped the black heap he was carrying on the dusty floor before landing. Galbatorix gracefully dismounted down the black dragon's right leg, he then made his way to the black heap and kicked it swiftly.

The heap shrieked as it's injured body was assaulted, it then corrected itself and stood up before the king, cradling its hand in it's arm. Galbatorix stared in disgust at the Ra'zac in front of him, his black eyes burning into the creatures own eyes. He had always loathed the Ra'zac, they were a blemish on the land that needed to be wiped out but currently he had need for this last one.

"My liege, pleassse give me one more chance to avenge my family." The Ra'zac trembled in front of the king's gaze. Galbatorix turned away from the creature and stroked his grey beard.

"Fine, you have one final chance." Galbatorix waved his hand and healed the Ra'zac's injuries. "You will search for the female dragon and her rider and capture them. If you fail again I warn you not to return as you will certainly die by my hands." The King dismissed the Ra'zac and then began to enter the castle, Shruikan following closely behind.

The castle was deserted most of the time, Galbatorix had no need for constant guards marching through the halls as such he walked with only the sound of the black dragon's foot falls indicating another's presence. As he approached his throne and took his seat, Shruikan curling up behind him, almost protectively, he knew that he wouldn't be left alone for long.

_I warned you about keeping those dragon eggs. _

Galbatorix cringed as the disembodied head invaded his mind, sweat appearing on his hairless head. "I remember your warning but I would not be responsible for their extinction."

_And because of your disobedience you have uncovered more trouble than you could have hoped for._

"The female can't evade me forever, I will eventually obtain her and then I will be able to create more dragon eggs."

_Shruikan is too large for her and you have only one other dragon under your control, if something happens to the red dragon then your toils will be for naught, despite you having the female. _

"I still have the green egg."

_That you do, but will it hatch for anyone in your empire before she grows too big for him? The female's rider is proof that not everyone under your control will be picked by the hatchling inside the egg, it may only hatch for one of the Varden, or the elves._

"Well then I will just have to hope for Thorn to not become unable. Now leave me be, I wish to rest."

_Very well but I will never be gone, just silent for the moment._

Galbatorix sighed as he felt the presence leave his mind. He hated what he had become, and all for one reason that was insane to believe in now that he had time to think back over it. He looked back at the black form of Shruikan, the dragon's black and dead eyes stared back, a mockery of what a dragon's eyes should be, filled with life and knowledge. The dragon was a living testament to the evil that he had unleashed due to his insanity and what he had done to the dragons at the insistence of his master was inexcusable.

He closed his eyes, anticipating sleep when he heard a knock on the throne room doors. He shouted as he opened the door with magic, all he wanted to do was slip into unconsciousness and escape the reality of his crimes. "What is it Murtagh?" He said angrily as the young dragon rider walked in, the younger red dragon closely behind.

Murtagh bowed as he approached. "My King, the rest of the army has returned to the city, there are many lost men in the ranks and our losses were substantial."

"And why were you unsuccessful at bringing me the female and her rider." Murtagh faltered at this question and the explanation he had rehearsed with Thorn quickly vanished.

"We tried, my lord, but they bested us." Galbatorix raised his hand and pointed it at Thorn, who immediately began writhing in pain on the floor. Murtagh wanted nothing more than to help his dragon but he knew if he moved then Galbatorix would double the pain to Thorn. After several minutes of torture, Galbatorix stopped, leaving a heavily panting Thorn in submission.

"After everything I taught you Murtagh, you still lose. I have taught you secrets that no rider has ever learnt before and no one but Brom and those elves have taught that rider, you should have easily beaten a rider who has not been trained."

"I do not know what happened, I may have been overconfident and Saphira is larger than Thorn, they had an advantage." Murtagh was trying desperately to keep the truth of Eragon's escape from the king, even if it made him seem weak.

Galbatorix then proceeded to torture Murtagh the same way he had been torturing Thorn. This enraged the red dragon and he shot forwards towards the king. Before he got there, however, Shruikan intercepted him and brought him crashing back down to floor, where he lay motionless. The black dragon then began to relentlessly attack Thorn before Galbatorix called him off. Murtagh and Thorn lay on the floor exhausted.

"Remove yourselves from my presence and return only when I call you." The king said to them. Murtagh laboured to rise himself and when he did he moved to Thorn. The red dragon took comfort from Murtagh's touch and slowly rose to his feet. They then proceeded to limp out of the throne room.

--

Spyro and Cynder had not been able to travel as far as Eragon had expected and several stops had to be made. As a result of this they had only been able to travel about one quarter desert of the deserts length. A major blow to Eragon was the loss of his pack. It had loosened itself from Saphira and had plummeted to the sand far below. When he later found it, all the food had been spoilt by the sand, the only thing he could recover were the pack itself and the many items that it contained, nothing that could sate his hunger, however.

Now with nothing to eat he watched as Saphira returned from her hunt with two carcasses. She had to travel far to find them and was exhausted when she returned. Eragon had dug a large hole into the sand and used magic to call forth water for her to drink deeply from. After her thirst was quenched he held the water for Spyro and Cynder, who both drank a moderate amount. Sparx was the last to drink, he had been silent for the majority of the journey, only speaking to Spyro and no one else.

Spyro and Cynder began eating their shared meal as they had done the night before, giving each other a large berth; Sparx zoomed about the sand catching any insects he could find and Saphira ate hers in the usual way, tearing large pieces off and then swallowing them. She paused her eating when she heard Eragon's stomach. _You have no food, are you sure you do not want some of mine? I will be glad to share._

Eragon patted her on the side. _That's alright, I can last a few more days, but if we're not out of the desert by then I may have to take you up on that offer._

She snorted. _It's idiotic of you to make yourself suffer. If you know you are going to eat meat eventually why not start now and sate your appetite?_

_Because we may have made it out of here before I need to. Spyro and Cynder may be able travel further distances as time goes on. _He replied as he watched the two smaller dragons eat.

_I doubt that and I expect us to be in the desert for at least another three days. _Saphira finished the meat she was eating and began to clean herself. _Well you will have to wait until tomorrow now to get any meal from me, you should have accepted when I offered you some._

_If it looks like we won't make it out of here any time soon by tomorrow then I will have whatever you offer me, be it meat or plant, I promise. _

_I'll hold you to that promise. _She said as she got into a comfortable position to sleep in on the sand. Cynder and Spyro finished what they were eating, neither of them touching the meat that was left on the bone in-between them. _That's terribly wasteful. _Saphira said as she watched them. _Why don't you eat it?_

Spyro looked at the giant dragoness and then nudged the carcass towards Cynder, getting his snout bloody in the process. Cynder nudged it back further towards Spyro, getting her own snout bloody. Saphira laughed. _Why don't you share it? _Spyro and Cynder looked at each other before carefully moving their heads together and each grabbing a piece of the meat. They were uncomfortable being this close to each other and quickly pulled away, ripping the meat in two as they did so. They quickly swallowed what they had and then moved away from each other.

_I wouldn't recommend that either._ The two small dragons stopped and looked towards Saphira. Eragon was positioning himself by her side and she lowered a wing over him. _The desert gets very cold at n__ight, you'll have to sleep against each other to prevent yourselves from freezing. _This caused them to quickly glance at each other before looking back at Saphira with disbelief.

"W-we'll be fine." Cynder said

"Yeah, a little cold never hurt anybody."

Saphira shook her head. _Everything in the desert has to huddle at night, that's why Eragon is by my side now, he'll freeze otherwise and so will you if you don't. _Spyro and Cynder still looked reluctant and refused to look at each other. _There is nothing intimate involved with it, it's just something you have to do to survive. _The two young dragons moved closer to one another and reluctantly lied down next to each other. They immediately felt the cold disappear and had to agree that Saphira was right.

Sparx brought himself down in-between Spyro's wings and rested there. "If I wake up on her back again just kill me." He told Spyro. This caused Cynder to growl.

"Be nice Sparx. We have to do this for another few days and it's already hard enough without you two fighting." Sparx folded his arms with a 'humph'.

"Just go to sleep, it will be over soon enough." Cynder's words cast everyone into silence and soon they were all asleep, the two dragons rubbing against each other subconsciously for warmth.

**I have a nice number of reviews for this story and I thank you all who have done. I may be lucky to get one chapter a week done for this story, hopefully I may be able to get more done as I get the story flowing but until then please be patient. Please give me any tips on this story if you think I need them and don't hesitate to correct me if I have done something wrong, it will be greatly appreciated.**


	7. A lesson in magic

**I think it will have to be one update a week for this story, most of my time is occupied by The Future Begins but that could be a good thing. The chapters for this story are longer and I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, that they are also written better. In any case, Enjoy.**

The sun blazed down on the sand, blurring the horizon as the heat rebounded off the land. This posed no problem to the dragons who relished the heat on their scales, warming their blood. Eragon, however, was burning. Growing up in the cool mountains of Palancar valley made him less tolerant of heat than most people and his skin, despite the wards he cast to protect himself, was slowly blistering.

_I think we should set down for a bit to give you a respite from the heat._ Saphira said to him. Eragon shook his head.

"I'll be fine, let's keep going."

_I am the one carrying you which means I make the decisions, and I say we set down for a bit. _Saphira then signalled to Spyro and Cynder to descend and all three of them began to spiral towards the ground.

"You're just doing this to keep us in the desert longer so that I will have to eat meat." Eragon said as Saphira landed on the hot sand.

_Now that would be a dirty trick, would I do that? _She replied as she swept her tail over the sand to reveal the cooler sand underneath. Eragon dismounted her and sat down where she had swept, whilst Saphira lay down next to him and stretched her wing out, shading him from the sun. Spyro and Cynder landed nearby and lay down apart from each other, enjoying the heat of the sand on their bellies.

Sparx, like Eragon, also disliked the heat and lay in the shade next to the human. Taking the opportunity, Eragon decided to ask the strange dragonfly a few questions. "Why don't you like Cynder?" Sparx looked up at Eragon as if he had asked the most stupid question ever conceived.

"Oh I don't know, maybe it has something to do with the fact that she tried to kill me, plus I have a sneaking suspicion that she wants to eat me." He said sarcastically. Eragon looked at Cynder and could not fathom a reason as to why she would even want to eat the dragonfly.

_Has she done so since she returned to her normal self._ Saphira asked.

"But that's the thing, nobody knows for certain if that is her normal self. She spent a lot more time as the Queen of conquer than as her current self, who knows if she even knows how to be good. Yet everyone at that dragon temple accepted her as if nothing had happened, well…I can understand why Spyro would have done."

_And why is that?_

"Well just look at him, he can't keep his eyes off miss doom and gloom." Eragon looked towards Spyro and sure enough he was looking at Cynder, who was looking in the opposite direction, oblivious.

"That's probably because they both had another growth spurt last night." And they had. They both gained more muscle mass and length, Spyro's spines on his back grew larger, along with his horns and chest and Cynder gained a longer neck, longer horns and a thinner waist.

"I suppose that would make sense but still, she tried to kill us." Saphira snorted.

_From what I've seen, she regrets that. I have watched you three during the night and, although you all have reason to be troubled in your sleep due to your circumstances, she is the most troubled. She trembles and grimaces as if caught in an eternal nightmare and I don't think that giving her grief whilst awake is really the best thing for her at the moment._

"I thought that I heard something last night." Sparx said to himself. Before anyone could say anything else, the five of them heard shouting in the distance. Eragon got out from beneath Saphira's wings whilst Spyro and Cynder moved next to him.

"What is it?" Cynder asked as she looked out into the desert at a small group of creatures. Eragon gripped the hilt of his borrowed sword, the strange handle and metal uncomfortable in his hand.

"A small group of slavers, they're attacking a group of nomads." Eragon told them.

"What are nomads?" Spyro asked, craning his neck for a better view.

Saphira got up and stood next to Eragon, hiding Spyro and Cynder at the same time. _The nomads are human, they roam the desert ignoring the Empire. What do you want to do Eragon? We can't let these two be seen._

Eragon looked up into her sapphire eyes._ But we can't let these people become slaves either._ He looked out at the group of humans again. His keen eyes witnessed a man beat a woman to the ground and then clap irons around a child's ankles. "Spyro, Cynder, crouch down against the sand, stay low and you shouldn't be seen." Spyro nodded and did so.

"I'm fine with that." Sparx stated as he took a seat on Spyro's back.

Cynder hesitated as she met Eragon's stare. _You can't be seen Cynder, please. _He said to her mentally. Upon hearing his plea she reluctantly did so, crouching down a few meters away from Spyro.

Eragon then climbed onto Saphira's back, who took off with a roar towards the slavers. Despite her roar the slavers were oblivious to the approaching dragon and continued with their work, stripping the nomads of their valuables and measuring how much each of the men, women and children would be worth on the market. It wasn't until one of the slavers was plucked from the ground by Saphira, taken high into the air, and then dropped, with a sickening thud, to the ground, that the slavers knew they were under attack.

"Shoot that dragon out of the sky, don't kill it, I bet the king would pay handsomely for it." One of the men shouted. As a response five men drew their bows and nocked arrows, aiming them at Saphira's wings.

Eragon, seeing this, reacted quickly. "Thrysta!" He called pointing his hand towards the men. Their bows instantly shattered, the wood splintering and embedding pieces into the men's hands. Saphira then came in for another run, releasing a burst of flame as she grew close enough.

The scorching dragon fire splashed against the sand, making it glow. When it came into contact with flesh it singed it, the flame burning the hair and skin of the men making them writhe on the hot sand with agony. The nomads that had been shackled had no idea what was happening, they screamed along with the slavers, some even tried to help the slavers repel the dragon.

_There are too many, Eragon, perhaps it best you use magic to take them all out._ Saphira said as she circled high above the reach of the spears that were being thrown at her.

Eragon looked at the scene below him. _I don't want to just kill them, Saphira. They have to be given a chance to retreat or that would make me a merciless killer…like Murtagh. _Eragon realised he let his mind waver as he said this.

_Ah so that is what you have been thinking about these past few days. We will discuss this later but for now we must focus on the task at hand._ Saphira shot towards the ground again, Eragon brandishing his sword. The slavers were expecting this though, and quickly formed a line of spearmen. Saphira screeched as she tried to pull out of her dive. But she was coming in too fast and as she pulled up, several spears scrapped along her underside, tearing into her scales and drawing blood.

She roared out in agony as she shut her mind from Eragon's to protect him from the pain. Eragon tried to comfort her but couldn't gain access to her mind. "Go back to Spyro and Cynder." He shouted over her wing beats. "I'll finish up here." He then leapt off her back and descended to the sand. He made himself roll as he landed to avoid damage from the drop and then watched as Saphira flew away, dripping blood on the sand.

He then assumed his typical stance for sword fighting as the slavers surrounded him, each with their own swords. Two of them immediately charged him and Eragon quickly parried their blows. He then stepped forwards, swinging his sword in an arc and caught both their swords against his blade. With a flick of his wrist he wrenched the swords from the two men's grasps and left them armless.

The two men looked at him dumbly before slowly retreating. Eragon's face hardened as his mind felt a presence behind him. He sidestepped and turned to see a sword in the space where his back would have been. He then brought his sword up underneath the trusted sword, throwing its wielder of balance. Eragon then delivered a blow to the man's gut with his elbow, making him bowl over in pain.

Despite Eragon's obvious superior fighting skills, the slavers refused to back down and Eragon found that he had to fend off increasingly more frenzied attacks from the men. It wasn't until Eragon had to kill one of them, with a thrust of his sword into a man's back, did the men show any sign of wariness.

Eragon was about to give the men a chance to retreat when he suddenly felt the minds of Spyro and Cynder approaching. He looked up to find them, but in this brief lag of concentration one of the men charged forward with a roar. Eragon barely had his sword in the way before his opponent ran him through. His sword still wasn't quite quick enough and Eragon felt the tip of the man's sword press against his chest, slowly pushing deeper until Eragon felt his skin break. He pushed forward with his own sword, shattering both blades.

The action jarred his hand and he let go of the broken sword to grip his wrist. He then saw Spyro drop out of the sky and unleash his ice breath, freezing five of the men in place. Cynder dropped behind two other men lashing out with her bladed wings, tearing into the backs of their legs and crippling them. She then swung her tail around and slashed another man with the blade tip.

Now that Spyro and Cynder had been seen Eragon had no choice but to kill all the slavers. He reached out with his mind and located the nerves that, if severed, would kill a man instantly. He then proceeded with this and fifteen men dropped down, dead. It always unsettled Eragon how easy it was to do that, it cost him little energy yet it cost his targets their lives, without even giving them a chance to defend themselves.

Spyro and Cynder stopped in their tracks as the men fell. They looked at Eragon, confused. "Magic." He told them and he then walked towards the nomads that had been shackled, the ones that hadn't been had escaped long ago. "Losna." He muttered and the various shackles released. The nomads were quick to break away from each other, running away in various directions to get away from the man who fought alongside dragons. Eragon knew that they would be back to collect their things but only after he had left.

"How is Saphira?" Eragon asked as he, Spyro and Cynder began walking towards her in the distance. Before he left he chose another sword from the multitude that lay in the sand.

"She's fine, her wounds look worse than they are but there is a lot of sand in them." Cynder replied as she walked on his left.

Spyro who was walking on his right continued. "They'll have to be cleaned to heal up properly."

"That won't be a problem, I can get plenty of water. Why did you come to me? I thought I told you to stay out of sight." He said, causing a growl to escape Cynder before she realised she was doing it and stopped herself.

"We were only trying to help, besides Saphira told us to make sure that you were ok. We only intervened when your sword broke."

Eragon sighed. "I suppose I should be grateful, you did save me from some possible harm. But from now on we have to be more careful, if the king hears word of you he will instigate a hunting party. If he finds you two he will have two new powerful dragons and he undoubtedly will want to make more." Spyro and Cynder caught the hint.

"Fine then, we should avoid doing anything that will draw attention to ourselves, including saving any more humans from becoming slaves." Cynder said, having no wish to be captured by the king.

"Although it goes against my nature I agree, we should reach Du Weldenvarden as quick as possible." Eragon told them as he reached Saphira. She allowed him to approach her and inspect her wounds. "Do they pain you?" He asked as he pulled out his water skin.

_They merely sting but I can't reach the wounds to get the sand out. _She replied.

"I'll take care of that." He replied as he poured a small amount of water over the gashes. She twitched slightly as the water stung her flesh. Eragon continued to wash her belly, the water removing the sand and staining the ground with her blood. Spyro and Cynder watched carefully, Sparx sat in-between Spyro's horns and spines on his head.

When Eragon was sure that all of the sand was gone he placed his hands on her underside. He reached into his mind for the barrier that separated his conscious mind from the magic. He broke through this barrier and focused on the necessary energy. "Waíse heill." He said as the gedwëy ignasia began to glow on his palm. Saphira's cuts and scrapes began to heal over as Eragon moved his palm across her scales.

When Eragon had finished there was no evidence that Saphira had been injured, which blew both Spyro's and Cynder's minds, Sparx convinced that it was some sort of trick to try and make Eragon look good. "How did you do that?" Spyro asked. "What else can you do?" Cynder was nodding alongside him, eager for him to answer the questions.

Eragon laughed. "You're magic is only limited by the words you know in the ancient language. There is a word for everything but it's not just a word, it is the thing you are naming." The two dragons looked confused and Eragon tried to think of a better way to describe it, he then remembered how Brom had explained it to him. "Fire, for example, is called Brisingr in the ancient language but it's not just a name, brisingr is fire, it's essence. Another example is Arget. Arget is silver, in both name and substance. Do you understand?" Cynder nodded but Spyro shook his head.

_The words that make up the ancient language are the true names of the objects the words describe. _Saphira explained. _You are called Spyro, yet you would have another name in the ancient language that IS you and if somebody finds that name they will be able to control you as that name is you. _This time Spyro nodded.

"Well, would we be able to use this magic?" Cynder asked, a tone of longing in her voice.

Eragon noticed this tone but shrugged it off till later. "I don't know. Dragons have never been able to use it, but you two are different to the dragons of this age so I honestly have no idea if you would be able to use it or not." This brought a smile to Cynder's face, her teeth flashing briefly.

"Could you teach us?" She asked, Spyro agreeing with his own smile.

Before Eragon could answer, Saphira cut in front of him. _He could try to teach you but only if you will try to teach me how to use that wonderful ice breath._ She said, a small glint in her eyes.

"I could try, you are a blue dragon after all." Spyro replied. Eragon shuddered at the thought of Saphira being able to wake him by freezing his bed. "You can breath fire so you should have the ability to learn the element of ice." Eragon felt the excitement come through his link with Saphira and thought it best to make them all face reality.

"You all realise however, that you may not be able to learn these things." He said, earning looks from all three of the excited dragons. "There is no precedents for dragons being able to use magic at will, so you two may not be able to learn gramarye, which is the proper name for magic." Spyro and Cynder looked down at this before Eragon continued. "And you, Saphira, there has not been a recording of a dragon being able to breath anything other than fire and your own ancestral memories support that." Unlike Spyro and Cynder, Saphira kept eye contact with him.

_I know that, Eragon. I did say 'try to teach' remember. I am not a child to get my hopes up, I realise that the chances of me learning are slim at best._ Eragon's statement seemed foolish to him after Saphira's response, she always had that effect on him. _Now I will go and hunt for us. We didn't cover much ground today, Eragon, so you can look forward to some thing to eat, no matter what I bring you._ She said before she took off, ignoring his glares.

--

Saphira returned two hours after she left, carrying deer she claimed that she found on the along the bank of the Ramr River, an incredible distance to travel in two hours even for her, which made Eragon suspect she was lying.

After giving Spyro and Cynder their deer she tore off a portion of her own deer with her jaws and placed it in front of him. "Great, thanks." He said as he looked at the bloody lump of meat.

_Your welcome. Just to clarify, I will take control of your body and force you to eat it if you don't do so of your own accord._ She said ignoring his sarcasm. Eragon then set about creating a place to cook the meat. He collected some dry shrubbery and created a small fire. He then pulled out a small knife and began cutting the deer into more manageable pieces before finally placing them over the fire. By the time the deer was cooked Saphira had already eaten her meal and Spyro and Cynder were half way through theirs.

As he took the deer off the fire he took comfort in the fact that he himself hadn't killed the animal, also no animal was harmed on account of him, this was part of Saphira's catch and therefore her responsibility. This didn't stop his stomach from churning, however, when he placed a small piece in his mouth and began to chew. His hungry body eagerly accepted it but his mind conflicted, knowing that he could survive for a few more days without eating.

Saphira sensed this and chastised him for it. _Just eat it, Eragon. It won't do you any harm to get a bit of meat in you._

"I am eating it aren't I?" He replied through a mouthful. He had to admit though, he loved the taste.

_Only through fear of what I will do to you if you don't. _He carried on eating until he had had his fill and then tossed the rest to Saphira. _I prefer it fresh but thank you anyway. _She said as she swallowed it. Eragon looked towards Spyro and Cynder and saw that they had also finished, the entire carcass stripped as the one the night before had been after Saphira told them to share.

"Do you want to know a little more about magic then?" He asked the two, who both nodded and approached him. "Well the first rule of magic is casting a spell with magic costs as much energy as it would to do the task by mundane means…"

--

"Lady Nasuada, we have the final figures for our losses." Jörmundur said as he entered her chamber in Borromeo Castle. Nasuada acknowledged him as she straightened her dress.

"Well how many did we lose?" She asked, expecting the worst.

"Our losses were severe." He said, confirming her fears. "Out of our full force of fifty thousand men we lost over half with another five thousand wounded and unfit for combat. Our magicians also had their own losses but not as many as the empire did, who have lost most, if not all, of their magicians thanks to Eragon." Nasuada's knuckles grew white as she clenched her fists around her dress.

"And what of the Empire's soldiers?" She asked with hope.

"Our sources tell us that their losses were far more severe than our own. Although they had more than double our full force, Eragon and the Du Vrangr Gata killed many of their men with magic. Angela's infiltration into their camp also resulted in the majority of their generals being poisoned. Also, after the citizens of Carvahall arrived on the Dragon Wing and opened fire with the ship's ballistae, the opposing army received heavy casualties. The Empire's army is effectively crippled." This news elated Nasuada.

"Well we can at least take comfort that we won't be in danger of another major attack anytime soon. Unfortunately we are in no position to mount a successful attack either."

Arya approached Nasuada. "You can count on the elves to assist you in any further skirmishes. We received word too late of your need to get here for the battle but by now our own soldiers and magicians will be ready and garrisoned to merge with your current forces."

Nasuada nodded. "They will be greatly welcomed, we need all the extra soldiers we can get at the moment. I only wish Murtagh hadn't become a rider for the king, one rider is bad enough but two." She finished with a shake of her head.

"And we can only hope that the last egg doesn't hatch for him otherwise you will have three dragon riders to contend with, something I think even Eragon won't be able to overcome." Everyone in the room nodded at Angela's statement.

**Please Review, it will be most helpful.**


	8. Ebrithilar Oromis and Glaedr

**Meant to have this up far earlier than I did, sorry. In any case I hope you enjoy it.**

Du Weldenvarden came as a shock to Spyro, Cynder and Sparx as they took their first view of it. The lush, green forest was so different to the barren wastelands of the desert that they had spent the majority of their time in so far. They welcomed the greenery, however, as it reminded them of the vast forests around the dragon temple that they remembered. Sparx also enjoyed the forest as there were copious amounts of butterflies and other various insects which he continued to eat despite Spyro's protests that he had no idea what he was eating and whether they were poisonous or not.

Saphira, however, had a hard time in the forest. Because Spyro and Cynder had to rest frequently she could not continue further into the forest where their was more room for her to land. That meant that when Spyro and Cynder descended to the forest floor between the trees Saphira had to stay airborne, or find a tree that would support her weight to roost on. This, of course, resulted in her being more tired than usual when they eventually found a clearing to camp in.

"We should try and make it deeper into the forest tomorrow, it's not acceptable for you to have to remain airborne at all times." Eragon said as he scanned the perimeter for any creatures that could attack them. He knew that there were some strange creatures that only the elves knew about, and due to the magic in the forest he had no idea what could attack them whilst they slept.

_I'll be fine, as long as I can rest at night I can fly all day long, although it would be preferable if I didn't have to. _She replied as her wings hung limply by her sides. She was too tired to hunt so Spyro and Cynder had offered. Eragon told them that it was too dangerous in the forest to do so and they had reluctantly agreed. However, when Eragon turned to them he saw that Cynder was missing.

"Where's Cynder?" Eragon asked Spyro. The purple dragon looked around the clearing and then back at Eragon.

"She must have sneaked off, she does that…a lot." He answered. Eragon sighed and shook his head.

"I'm going to have to go and find her, there are things in this forest that even I don't know about." He placed his sword by his pack and instead pulled out a hunting knife, much more useful in the restricted areas that the trees provided. When he turned back around he saw Spyro standing up.

"I'm coming too." He said.

Eragon shook his head. "I'm not having two dragons lost in this forest, besides, I'll be able to move quicker on my own." Spyro looked like he was going to argue until Saphira began to question him on ice breath. The purple dragon then began to speak with Saphira whilst Eragon quietly moved into the trees.

Eragon hadn't used his tracking skills since he had hunted rabbits when he first made the discovery that he could no longer eat meat. Despite this however, he was able to discern the direction Cynder had taken by studying the ground and finding her claw prints, much smaller than Saphira's but obviously still draconic.

He followed the marks at a careful pace until he found that her strides suddenly lengthened and several other prints began to accumulate along her path. Upon seeing this, Eragon began to run, hoping that whatever had been pursuing Cynder hadn't caught her. It didn't take long until he heard squealing in the distance causing him to run even faster. His elven agility enabled him to dodge trees and branches with an unimaginable skill and soon he was in another clearing.

A sound to his left made him turn to see Cynder facing away from him, her wings flared and her tail whipping behind her as she faced of against an animal that resembled a boar but much larger so that it matched her size. Eragon was about to help when he noticed that there were several more boars lying motionless around her. This moment of confusion meant that Cynder reacted before Eragon could. He watched as she opened her mouth and a thick cloud of dark black smoke streamed out of her throat. The smoke spread across the ground like a shadow, enveloping anything in its path towards the boar.

The boar, however, had seen its pack mates perish by this smoke and avoided it at all costs, which caused it to trap itself between a large rock and Cynder. The black and red dragon then opened her mouth again, a large stream of green liquid shooting forward and splashing on the boar. It squealed as the green ooze bubbled on its skin until it collapsed, lying motionless as the liquid slowly dripped off the animal, killing the plant life that the liquid landed on.

It was at this point Cynder turned round and jumped back as she saw Eragon, standing open mouthed at what he just witnessed. "I have my own powers." She said to him causing him to close his mouth and come back to his senses.

"Why didn't you tell me and Saphira?" He asked, looking at the various bodies scattered about the area.

"The majority of them came as a result from my corruption, I'm not particularly proud of them but they get the job done when they are needed." She padded off towards one of the boars. "This one is safe to eat." She said, then moved to another and declared that safe for consumption too.

"Did you come out here just to hunt?" Eragon asked as he hefted one of the boars over his shoulders, it was extremely heavy but he couldn't carry two with magic.

"No, I was just walking through the forest when these animals started chasing me. I couldn't fight them in the trees so I lured them here." She watched as Eragon muttered a few words and levitated another bore, carrying it in the air in front of him.

They walked in silence for a few moments before Eragon looked at Cynder, who was walking along his right side. "Do you have any other powers? What was that smoke?" He asked. She looked down at her feet as he asked and Eragon thought that he probably shouldn't have asked until she looked up again and spoke.

"Spyro has four breath attacks, so do I, except mine are more…well…evil." She paused, expecting Eragon to speak but when he didn't she carried on. "Because the Dark Master exposed me to his influence I learned many skills including fire. But when Spyro defeated me and purged me of Malefor's influence I was left powerless. It was only recently that I discovered I still possess a few."

"And they would be?" Eragon asked, curious to know.

"Poison, wind, shadow and a strange power which works around fear, that's why Sparx is always afraid of me, I don't understand how the fear power works and he always seems to be on the receiving end of it." This resulted in a small laugh from Eragon, which almost caused him to lose his grip on the two boars he was carrying, both physically and mentally.

"Does Spyro know you have these powers?" He grunted as he stepped over a knotted root.

"No, I had ran away from the temple when I discovered that I had the power of shadow, I never told him why I left and he hasn't seen any of my powers since we fought in Convexity." Eragon sensed that that subject was delicate and refrained from asking why she had ran away.

"So that black smoke was shadow?" He asked instead. Cynder shook her head.

"That wasn't smoke, this is smoke." She replied as two trickles of whispery, grey smoke trickled out of her nostrils. Eragon grew slightly afraid of how the smoke Cynder had just created looked white compared to how black the shadow she had attacked the boars with was, he definitely didn't want to experience being shrouded by it.

When the two arrived back in the clearing where Spyro and Saphira had been waiting they found that large portions of the ground had been frozen, frost clinging to blades of grass and shattered leaves sprinkled on the ground. "Did you do this Saphira?" Eragon asked as he dropped the boars. She shook her head as she eyed the boars.

_Spyro was just demonstrating I can still only breath fire. Did you catch these?_ She asked as her mouth started to salivate. Eragon laughed as his dragon, despite her vast wisdom and knowledge, still couldn't keep her mouth from watering when she was hungry.

"No, I didn't, Cynder did, I just helped bring them back." Spyro inspected the boars and then looked at Cynder.

"But there isn't a mark on them, how did you kill them." He asked. Cynder pushed the boar that she and Spyro were going to share a small distance from Saphira and Eragon before answering.

"I have my own methods." She simply stated before taking a bite. Spyro just shrugged, knowing that it was futile to try and coax an answer from her if she wasn't in the mood, and joined her. Saphira picked up the other boar in her forearms and attempted to rip a piece off for Eragon but he stopped her.

"That's yours, this is mine." He said as he pulled a handful of berries from a nearby tree. Saphira growled softly at him.

_Of course it is, why would you eat meat if you have food that only prey eats? _She said grumpily as she began to eat. _So how did she kill these, Spyro is right, there wasn't a mark on them._

_I'll tell you later. _He answered as he chewed on a berry and watched Cynder eat, now with a new found interest in her.

_--_

_He's insane._ Murtagh said as he walked through the castle courtyard with Thorn. Spies working for Galbatorix were everywhere in Urû'baen so Murtagh and Thorn were restricted to speaking in their minds when not alone.

_He does seem to be slipping towards that end. _Thorn replied as he limped. Murtagh still found it strange having someone in his mind at all times. He had trained to keep his mind closed from everyone and only the strongest of magicians would have been able to penetrate his mind. Thorn, however, could slip through his barriers, unless Murtagh really wanted to keep the dragon from a certain thought or feeling.

There were benefits to having his dragon in his mind, however, any barriers he needed to put up were strengthened by Thorn's presence and only Galbatorix himself could shatter those barriers. Unfortunately it was Galbatorix that Murtagh wanted to keep his mind from. _One minute he is as calm and collected as an elf, or so I hear, and the next he has a fury to match a dragon, it's as if he's two people._

_Unfortunately we have to put up with that until an opportunity arises for us to escape. _Thorn said._ The bindings he has on us prevent us from leaving, we need to wait until he gives us an order that could be interpreted differently._

_Well I'll leave that up to you, I don't have the capacity to interpret the ancient language in such a way, I only see it as an absolute._

_Only because Galbatorix has not explained it to you properly, he does not want you to be able to lie to him. _

_That is true, but we managed to keep from him how Eragon escaped, he hasn't forced us to swear additional oaths._

_And I'm glad, I do not want to be the one responsible for capturing Saphira, I will not force her to be my mate. If it is to happen I hope it is the dragon within the green egg that commits that crime. _Murtagh nodded and placed his marked palm on Thorn's side as they entered the training area. Waiting for them, standing alone and just as much a servant as them, if even more so, was Shruikan.

The black dragon fixed his lifeless eyes on Thorn as they approached. As soon as Thorn set foot inside the circle in the dirt Shruikan opened his mouth and threw black fire at the red dragon. Murtagh flinched as the dark fire splashed against Thorn's chest until Thorn flew into the air. A mighty beat of his wings and Shruikan was on his tail. A hundred years of growth far outweighed the few months Thorn had had and the fight was over before it had even gotten into full motion.

Murtagh healed the wounds on Thorn before Shruikan began again. Murtagh sighed as his dragon was beaten again, and again, and again. There was no way for Thorn to win against a dragon twice his size but that was all the training Shruikan would do with Thorn, any manoeuvres that Thorn knew were self taught to avoid Shruikan's claws and teeth. But this also meant that Thorn was forced to do nothing but improve to avoid being hurt, it was the reason why he had given Saphira so much trouble when they had fought. By all rights she should have obliterated him in the air, if he had not received such harsh training.

By the end of the day Thorn was thoroughly bruised, whereas Shruikan had no marks caused by the red dragon. Thorn limped by Murtagh's side as Shruikan flew back to the castle without a word. _Is there anything I can do? _The rider asked.

_No, he'll only do worse next time if he see's that they've been healed. _Thorn sensed hate coming from Murtagh. _Do not hate him Murtagh, you know that that isn't Shruikan as he would have been if he hadn't been corrupted. _

_I know but still, it's hard not to hate someone who harms the ones I care about. Luckily there is only one Galbatorix can hurt at the moment, if Eragon or Saphira was captured I don't think I could handle it._

_Likewise. _They carried on towards the castle and found Galbatorix waiting for them at the stairs, Shruikan sat by his side, his head resting in front of his rider, or master as Murtagh thought of a more suitable word. _It looks like it's time for your lesson. _Thorn observed.

_I despise these lessons, I don't want the knowledge he gives me and forces to use, even if it does make me stronger._ They reached Galbatorix who then proceeded to force them both to bow.

_You don't have a choice in the matter._ Thorn said quietly.

--

It had taken two days to get far enough into Du Weldenvarden for Saphira to be able to rest with Spyro and Cynder, and another day for them to reach the Crags of Tel'naeír. They had had to creep around Ellesméra so that the elves didn't discover the two new dragons, they wanted Oromis' opinion first.

_You are about to meet one of the last dragons alive. _Saphira told the three as they grew closer to Oromis' hut. _He is also the oldest and as such the largest, over three hundred years of growth are behind him whereas I have only had two. He is three times my size. _Spyro and Cynder were shocked when they heard Saphira's age, she was already twice the size of them. Sparx however was terrified at the prospect of seeing a dragon bigger than Saphira, Cynder already terrified him.

"Oromis can also strike you as…odd. He likes to be philosophical and can annoy you when you want a straight answer." Eragon added

Spyro laughed to himself. "Sounds like Ignitus." He said quietly to Cynder.

"Or Volteer." She whispered back. They continued to fly towards the small hut until they finally brought themselves down, Spyro and Cynder hiding behind Saphira. Saphira's landing didn't go unnoticed and the door to Oromis' hut opened. Eragon suddenly remembered that he was still in his armour that he had travelled to Helgrind with. He hurriedly tried to use magic to clean the cloth and polish the metal but he could do little about the smell of travel on him.

Oromis exited his hut and, using a long staff, made his way towards Eragon. Both Eragon and Saphira noticed the slow shuffle Oromis used and he seemed to be depending on the staff to keep him up. Eragon gave a slight bow and then remembered the elven greetings. They both touched their first fingers to their lips and then Eragon twisted his right hand over his sternum and said. "Atra esterní ono thelduin"

Oromis then said the next line. "Mor'ranr lífa unin hjarta onr."

Eragon finally finished the greeting. "Un du evarínya ono varda." With the greetings out of the way both Eragon and Saphira bowed their heads. "Ebrithil, we have returned." They remained in this position for several minutes until Oromis placed his hand on Eragon's head.

"I see that and you also speak in your own tongue. Have you forgotten that you are to speak the ancient language whilst in Du Weldenvarden?" Eragon brought his head back up when Oromis removed his hand.

"I have not forgotten, ebrithil, but there is a reason for it. Where is ebrithil Glaedr?" Eragon questioned.

"He will be back shortly, he sensed your arrival and is currently on his way." Sure enough the steady concussions of wing beats were soon heard and Eragon looked up to see the speck that was Glaedr grow bigger until he landed beside his rider. The massive gold dragon hopped a little as he regained his balance that was lost due to his missing left fore limb.

_Saphira, Eragon, it is good that you were not harmed in battle. _The large dragon said, causing a slight shudder to creep down Saphira's spine. Behind her, Spyro and Cynder noticed this and came to the conclusion that Glaedr must have been the one she had doted on and been rejected by.

Oromis and Glaedr had not noticed this and, not trusting Saphira to mind her words, Eragon spoke. "The Varden took the victory but at a cost. King Hrothgar was slain by a rider, the red egg has hatched for Murtagh, son of Morzan…and my brother." There was silence when Eragon said this as Oromis and Glaedr digested the information.

"Did you fight Murtagh?" Oromis asked. Eragon was wondering why Oromis hadn't questioned him on being the son of Morzan.

"Yes, we duelled on dragon back until I wounded his dragon, we then duelled on the ground where he bested me. He has power over spells to rival my own, maybe even more so." Oromis nodded, his face as impassive as ever.

"That will be the case for any rider under Galbatorix's control, your only hope is to defeat any of his rider's with swordsmanship, I assume you are the better swordsman?"

Eragon nodded. "My skill is superior but I had been exhausted from battle before Murtagh and Thorn appeared. They fought us solely before allowing us to escape and retreating with the empire's army."

"Allowing you to escape?" Oromis asked, a shimmer of puzzlement showing on his face before it was removed from his features.

"He serves Galbatorix unwillingly. When Thorn hatched for Murtagh, Galbatorix claimed knowledge of their true names and forced them to pledge allegiance in the ancient language under penalty of death."

_How did this Thorn fight? _Glaedr asked, adopting Eragon's language although he was unsure why he was doing so.

_It was strange, I used all the skills you taught me, ebrithil, but he still managed to hold his own. He fought clumsily but not without grace, as if his manoeuvres were self taught. _Saphira answered with as much respect for the gold dragon she could muster, without letting her mixed feelings for him to enter her voice.

_That is to be expected, he will be training with Shruikan, who I doubt will take the proper time to teach Thorn anything. _Spyro was beginning to grow bored and began to pay attention to his surroundings. It was then that he noticed that Cynder's tail was resting on his own and he quickly yanked his tail away. Cynder had thought that his tail had been a rock and suddenly fell forwards as it was swept from under her, which had caused her balance to shift.

She hit the dirt, face first, with an oof. This sound was heard by both Oromis and Glaedr as Eragon and Saphira froze. The next thing they knew Spyro came running from behind Saphira, Cynder following close behind with an angry glare. "I said I was sorry!" Spyro shouted, trying to use his orange wings for extra speed, as he ran from the black dragoness, also using her wings.

"Not good enough!" She shouted back, a spot of blood dripping from her bottom lip where her teeth had bit due to the fall. Eragon was dismayed at how the two were acting in front of Oromis and Glaedr.

"Now, now children, let's not fight in front of the extremely big and scary looking dragon." Sparx said as he buzzed around the two fighting dragons.

"Get lost, Sparx!" Cynder shouted at him before she opened her mouth and blew a gale at him. The blast blew the dragonfly high into the air whilst he screamed angrily at her. Cynder then refocused her attention on Spyro and, as she was faster than him, caught him. They tumbled forwards as she pounced, until they eventually came to a rest, with Cynder pinning him down.

Satisfied with how it had turned out she got off him and moved towards the dismayed Eragon and Saphira, leaving Spyro in a daze on the floor. "What?" She asked as they continued to stare at her.

Oromis stepped forward as Glaedr stared at the two new dragons. "Eragon, just what is going on here?" He asked, not bothering to hide the looks of confusion and abstract amusement on his face. Glaedr continued to look at the purple dragon who lay spread-eagled on the floor, still dazed.

**Tell me what you think. Any tips or suggestions for plot are not simply dismissed and I do listen to criticism and reply to my reviewers. Review.**


	9. Settled

**I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Galbatorix sat in his throne, Shruikan now sleeping behind him. Galbatorix did not like to brush against the dragon's mind while it was unconscious, it was the only time Shruikan was aware of what had become of him as he dreamt and the king refused to be reminded of the crimes he had committed.

_Do you not remember why you did what you did?_

Galbatorix flinched. _Of course I remember, you clouded my judgement and drove me to it. You took advantage of my distress and caused me to bring about their downfall._

_I did not cloud your judgement, only showed you the truth, if it hadn't been for them your dragon would still be alive, she would still be by your side instead of Shruikan._

Galbatorix grew angry. _Do not even attempt to try again. When she died I was distraught, I only listened to you when you blamed the riders out of anguish. I have had time to contemplate things now and it was my own fault. If I hadn't been so confident and arrogant then she wouldn't have died, it was my fault._

_Yes it was your fault._ The voice agreed._ But that doesn't change the reality of the past, only the reason for it. You destroyed the riders and now you want to rebuild them? Even if you do they would still fall under your rule, and the dragons would have been born through acts of injustice in the first place. All your actions are done through evil and corrupted means, what makes you think you would be able to take your place as leader of the riders?_

_The end justifies the means, if the female dragon must be forced to mate to create new dragons then it must be done, the green egg has hatched in my empire, I have it and its chosen rider in bindings similar to Murtagh's. If the female refuses to mate willingly with the dragons under my control then she must be forced._

_Ah, so you managed to find a rider for the egg, it seems I was mistaken. Even so, I can not allow the dragon race to be under your control, if anyone is to rule the dragons it shall be me. _The voice sounded almost threatening as it said this.

_I am not trying to rule the race, only rebuild it, without my help they won't survive._

_You are still as arrogant as you were when I first found you, crying and whimpering in the Spine. If you had not kept those eggs and instead handed them over to the Varden then all the eggs would have hatched under one faction, they would not be fighting, and the female would have been able to pick a mate from the two and rebuild the race on their own. Because you kept them, however, she now has to be forced into submission as she will not willingly choose one who serves under you._

_If her egg hadn't been stolen she would have hatched under my control along with the other two. Her rider was born in my empire, born to my most powerful servant, and only joined the Varden after he was chosen. It is the fault of the Varden for having the egg stolen from me that she has to be forced._

A flicker of distraction emanated from the consciousness that had pierced Galbatorix's iron clad mind. _I must attend to something, I will be back soon and we will continue our little…discussion. _With that, the foreign mind left Galbatorix, who rubbed his temples to comfort himself.

"Hydanza, come to me at once." Galbatorix spoke to the empty room. His speech woke Shruikan who looked at the king quizzically. When Galbatorix didn't acknowledge the dragon, Shruikan returned to his slumber. Several seconds passed until a wind blew through the room despite there being no place for the wind to have originated from. A column of black smoke then appeared in the centre of the room and once it dissipated a tall, slim, figure stood before the king.

"My lord." The man said as he placed his right arm over his chest and dropped to one knee. Galbatorix stared at the man before him, he was weaker than Durza but being a shade he was still powerful, and maybe even more dangerous due to this shade's less over confident nature, he wouldn't underestimate the rider.

"Hydanza, I require you to find the Ra'zac that is currently hunting the female dragon and her rider. I have absolutely no confidence in it's ability to do so and I know that it will most likely try to harm them if it finds them. When you find it, accompany it and ensure that it is successful." The shade looked up from where he was kneeling, his green eyes locking with the king's black.

"As you wish, my lord." The shade then stood up and turned with a swish of his cloak, his long white hair swaying as he exited the room. As soon as he had left Galbatorix waited a moment before closing his eyes and returning to sleep.

--

Glaedr sniffed at the two new dragons, unsure of what to make of them. Cynder didn't appreciate the intruding snout and backed away from it. "Do you mind?" She protested, leaving Glaedr slightly perturbed, both at her rudeness and how she talked vocally. Saphira saw how Cynder reacted to Glaedr and quickly began to explain.

_She means no disrespect, ebrithil. Eragon and I found these two deep within Helgrind in the vault of souls-_

"Well of souls." Spyro interrupted as he gingerly stood next to Cynder. Oromis and Glaedr looked at the two small dragons until Saphira continued.

_The name is trivial, the point is that these two were imprisoned inside until we somehow released them. Apparently they have been encased within Helgrind for countless centuries. _When she had finished Oromis showed visible signs of shock. When Eragon noticed these, however, the elf quickly regained his composure.

"And how did you come to the conclusion that they had been trapped for so long?" He asked, sceptical about the two dragons.

"They speak of a dragon temple and of dragon realms." Eragon answered. "As far as I know there have never been such things and Saphira doesn't have any memories of them either. Spyro and Cynder either come from a past so far gone that it has been lost from history or from another world, the former being the most likely due to the circumstances of their discovery."

Oromis shifted his weight with his crutch but he lost his grip and fell. Glaedr slammed his neck down next to him, causing the ground to shake, but the dragon managed to catch his weakened rider. When Eragon tried to rush to his side Oromis put his hand up. "No, I am fine." Eragon hesitantly stopped, but only after Glaedr directed a quiet growl towards him.

The aging elf slowly righted himself but still kept his arm on the large girth of Glaedr's neck for further support. "I would have came to the same conclusion, Eragon. It is unlikely that they came from another world, there is no evidence to support that, whereas there is evidence to support lost history. Much recent history has been kept from your race and even more history has been lost due to the decimation of the dragon race, there is only so much knowledge Glaedr can know to pass onto Saphira."

It was then that Oromis finally addressed the two young dragons, who were sat by Saphira, looking utterly lost. "Well met dragons." The elf said whilst placing his two forefingers to his lips. "My name is Oromis, last scion of House Thrándurin, he who is both the Mourning Sage and the Cripple Who Is Whole."

_And I am Glaedr, Oromis' bonded dragon. _The golden dragon added. _We are interested to know about you._

"For starters, your names would be an appropriate beginning, after that maybe we could learn about your upbringing." Oromis continued. Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and Eragon spoke in their minds.

_He craves knowledge about anything and you two are probably the most interesting things he has seen in a long time, just humour him, don't worry you can trust him. _With that Eragon retreated from their minds. Trusting in Eragon Spyro decided to talk about himself.

Unsure of who to look at he occasionally made eye contact with both Oromis and Glaedr. "My name is Spyro…er…I was hatched in a swamp where I thought I was a dragonfly until I breathed fire. After that I left the swamp and met a dragon called Ignitus who told me everything about how my egg ended up in the swamp." He was unsure whether or not to tell them about the portion of Cynder's past that clashed with his so left it out, if Cynder felt it was necessary she would divulge it.

When it was apparent that Spyro didn't feel comfortable sharing more Oromis and Glaedr looked to Cynder. She looked back at them hoping that they would get the hint and leave things be but it seemed they were more stubborn than she was. "My upbringing was…less happy than Spyro's and I would prefer not to talk about it. All that matters is now."

Oromis raised his eyebrow. "An interesting view but you would be trusted more if you shared your experiences."

"We are aware that there is a war going on. Both Spyro and I were part of a war in our own time, on opposite sides to begin with. Neither of us want to fight, yet there are sides here now that wish for us to do so, how can we trust you?"

Oromis took a moment and then answered. "You are mistaken, we would be at an advantage if two new dragons joined us, that is true, but we won't force you. It is just as beneficial to us if you refuse to fight for Galbatorix, as long as you don't join him you are free to do as you please."

"That isn't exactly freedom but if you aren't going to force us then we guess we can trust you." Spyro replied.

_Ebrithil Glaedr, Spyro has many powers that you and I do not wield._ Saphira said when she was certain that they had been accepted.

_Is this true young dragon?_ Glaedr asked him. Spyro looked up at Glaedr and nodded. _Would you mind showing me?_ Spyro agreed although he was growing tired of having to show-off his powers. He proceeded to do so, both Oromis and Glaedr growing more and more impressed as Spyro cycled through the elements he controlled. When he was done Oromis was speechless. _Young dragon that was the most amazing display of power I have ever seen, no dragon before me has been able to do that before, you must be from an ancient time. _The golden dragon mused.

"Well Saphira said that you can live forever, no dragon from our time could live forever or grow as big as you, they stopped just short of the size of Saphira." Spyro explained.

"Maybe that is why Saphira and Glaedr can not wield the powers you possess. We know that creatures evolve over time, perhaps the dragons of today evolved from the dragons of your day and lost and gained attributes through evolution." Oromis suggested.

"That makes sense." Cynder said. Glaedr looked at her.

_Do you wield any powers, young one? _He asked causing her to stiffen. Eragon saw this and interrupted.

"Ebrithil Oromis, I forgot to ask, what plans have the elves conceived to invade the northern half of the Empire?" Glaedr's question was forgotten as Oromis and Glaedr looked to him.

"The elves have positioned themselves along the eastern borders of Du Weldenvarden, we are about to begin an attack on the city of Ceunon. From there we will make our way south and capture Yazuac and Daret. Our ultimate goal is to capture Gil'ead." Oromis replied.

_What if Galbatorix notices that the elves are attacking the northern side of his territory, should Eragon and I join them at Ceunon? _Saphira asked.

_No. _Glaedr replied. _We are counting on the fact that Galbatorix ignores the towns and cities that are on the outskirts of his Empire, by the time he realises we are hoping to have already taken Gil'ead._

"We also can not risk you being captured by Galbatorix if our attack is discovered. You also need to finish your training, I do not have long before I pass into the void, Glaedr most probably joining me." Oromis continued.

"Most probably?"Eragon questioned, a puzzled expression on his face.

_Ignore him, Eragon, he speaks nonsense. Now, we have to discuss what we are to do with these dragons you have found. _He said as he ignored Oromis' looks of irritation at being dismissed.

_We thought it best we kept them secret until we could discuss it with you, no one knows of them but you two._ Saphira explained.

"We don't want to be pressured into anything, if we are to fight we want to make that decision after learning more about this war." Cynder spoke up, Spyro nodding by her side.

_Then I recommend that we keep you secret, you can train alongside Saphira and Eragon and learn more about our circumstances. After that you can make your decision, whether it is to go into hiding or join us in our fight._ Spyro and Cynder agreed to Glaedr's suggestion.

"But where will we stay whilst we are here?" Spyro asked.

"Well you can either stay with Saphira and I or stay here with Glaedr and Oromis. There will be less chance of your discovery if you stay here but we will be able to sneak you into Ellesmera with us if you want to." Eragon said.

"I would prefer to stay with you two, I don't know about Spyro though." Cynder answered.

"I would prefer it too." He quickly added.

_It's dangerous but if it is where you will feel most comfortable then I trust you into Eragon's and Saphira's care. _Glaedr responded. Eragon noticed that Oromis hadn't given his view on the arrangements but when he looked at the elf he found that Oromis had slipped into unconsciousness on Glaedr's leg.

"Ebrithil Glaedr, is Oromis alright?" Eragon asked concerned.

Glaedr rose on to his hind legs, further increasing in height, and gripped Oromis in his right hand. _As you know he is not well and his condition is deteriorating, he doesn't have long left before his final wards fail and he is lost to us. _With that Glaedr carefully turned and walked towards Oromis' hut.

Sensing that the conversation was over Saphira nudged Eragon, who reluctantly climbed onto her back. _Come little ones._ She said to the two dragons who were watching Glaedr trying to place Oromis into his hut. They turned away and followed Saphira into the sky.

After flying for a few minutes Sparx eventually joined them. "Where did you go off to?" Spyro asked him. Sparx gave a dirty look to Cynder and then answered.

"Well after I was blown away by Cynder I figured I would stay at a distance, besides why would I want to go near that golden monster I bet he wants to eat me too." He replied.

"Which reminds me, Cynder how did you do that before? I saw you when I looked back, you opened your mouth and blew him away." Spyro asked her. She looked back at him and sighed.

"I didn't lose all my powers when you defeated me, Spyro. I still have the element of wind and some other dark powers." She went quiet after that, Spyro looking at her every now and then but she didn't make eye contact with him.

_We might have to speak with her soon._ Saphira said to Eragon. _She wrestles with problems much like your own._

_What do you mean?_ He asked her as they grew closer to Ellesmera.

_It will have to wait. We need to make sure we are not seen._ She replied leaving Eragon confused. Spyro and Cynder followed Saphira wherever she flew so there was no need to tell them what to do. The tree house that Eragon stayed in was on the outskirts of the city, facing out towards the forest, this was from where Saphira approached.

Eragon reached out with his mind and when he was sure that no elves were looking up they sped forwards through the large window. Saphira managed to bring herself to a comfortable stop once inside but both Spyro and Cynder skidded across the floor until they smacked into Saphira, which knocked her over along with Eragon.

_That could have certainly been more graceful._ Saphira said as she carefully removed herself from the pile.

"Get off me you oaf!" Cynder shouted when she realised Spyro was lying on her.

"Sorry, Cynder." He replied as he quickly got off her and moved away before she could hit him or shout at him some more.

"Well now you can get off me." Eragon said from underneath her. She promptly got off him muttering apologies.

_How did you end up on the bottom of the pile._ Saphira asked him from her dais in the bedroom floor. Eragon shrugged and began to take off the outer layer of armour he was wearing. He placed it all in the corner of the room they were in and then stretched.

"Ahh that's much better!" He exclaimed. "Now would you like a tour?" He asked the two dragons. They both nodded and Eragon began to show them around his tree house whilst Saphira remained in her dais, looking through his eyes as if they were her own. The room that attracted their attention the most however was the study upstairs.

"Wow, look at all the books and scrolls." Cynder said as she looked at the shelves crammed with paper. There was another dais like the one Saphira was sitting on downstairs but Cynder paid this no mind.

"You like this room then?" Eragon asked. They both nodded as they browsed the shelves. "Good because this is where you will be sleeping." They both stopped and looked at him.

"Really?" Spyro asked.

"This room can't be entered by any other way than the window or the stairs to the bedroom. Nothing will come through the window and Saphira and I will be sleeping in the bedroom, even if an elf visits you won't be discovered." Eragon explained.

_It is the best place for you._ Saphira added. _You can both share my dais._ The two dragons agreed and Eragon smiled.

"Good now why don't you two read something whilst I go and have a bath." He said as he made his way back down the stairs. He glanced at Saphira as he left the bedroom into the vestibule where he entered the small closet with the strange bath. He closed the closet door, turned the two nozzles hidden in the wall and removed his clothes. As he bathed Saphira spoke to him.

_Would you like to have that talk now?_

_And what would this talk be about? _He asked back.

_You are troubled that Murtagh is your brother. Why does this upset you so? _She said. Eragon thought for a moment. He didn't know why he was so disturbed by it. _Is it because you believe him when he says Morzan was your father. _Saphira sensed that he did believe him.

_I'm the son of one of the forsworn Saphira. How can I be worthy of being the leader of the riders?_

_Eragon, he was not your father, Brom was. _This startled Eragon but Saphira continued before he could speak. _Garrow was your father, Oromis is your father. These are the people that have impressed themselves on you, not Morzan. _Eragon realised that she was speaking figuratively.

_That isn't the point Saphira. Morzan's blood runs through my veins, how will people react when they know that, how can I lead people knowing that my father was one of the causes of their suffering?_

_Eragon I chose you to be my rider, if that isn't enough to convince you then think about what you have done. You have fought with the Varden twice along side the men you lead, you have trained hard to learn what it is to be a true rider, you bring hope to those who wish for Galbatorix to be overthrown. After all that, would people really care who sired you?_

Eragon finished bathing and used magic to remove the excess water off his body. He then pulled out some garments from the small compartment in the wall and put them on. Saphira still hadn't moved when Eragon re-entered the bedroom in a white, silk tunic and brown, cotton breaches. _I guess you're right, If I have done all that I can't be my father._

Saphira's eyes examined him. _Of course you aren't, Eragon, you are far more the man than he ever was._ Eragon smiled at Saphira, his mind put at ease for the moment. A clatter from above them caught their attention and Eragon climbed the stairs in the corner of his room, Saphira once again looking through his eyes.

The sun had set and Eragon noticed that Spyro must have lit some candles as there was light in the study. When he reached the room he noticed that the candles were indeed lit, he then noticed the pot of ink on the floor with Sparx covered in the black liquid. Cynder was sat in the dais with a scroll of parchment, reading, and Spyro was looking for something to clean up the ink.

"I'll clean it up, don't worry." Spyro said quickly as he noticed Eragon.

"Don't worry about it." Eragon smiled, he said a few words in the ancient language and the spilled ink re-entered the bottle, which then placed itself back onto the desk.

"I told them to not mess with the ink but they wouldn't listen." Cynder spoke, without looking up from her scroll.

"It doesn't matter." Eragon replied. "Feel free to stay up and read but Saphira and I are going to turn in for the night. I suggest you do the same if you are planning on training with us."

"We'll do the same then, we don't want to keep you up with whatever noise we make and we are coming with you tomorrow, we want to learn more about this place."Cynder replied as she expertly rolled the scroll up with her claws and placed the scroll on the outside of the dais.

"Well I'll see you tomorrow morning." Eragon said as he moved towards the stairs. He waited for a moment to see if they would need anything. Spyro crawled into the dais, which was big enough for the two dragons to sleep apart from each other with ample room and Sparx took a place on the top of one of the bookshelves.

When it was obvious that they didn't want nor require anything Eragon descended the staircase and re-entered the bedroom. _Are they settled?_ Saphira asked as Eragon readied himself for sleep.

_Aye, they're in your dais, Sparx is on one of the bookshelves for some reason though. _He replied as he slipped under the downy bed sheets.

_Such a strange creature he is._ She mused as she shifted a but until she found an adequate position to fall unconscious in.

_Aye._ Eragon said as he yawned. He lay awake for a moment, thinking about the unusual dragons above him. He then heard some light snoring creeping down the stairs, closely followed by a deep snoring coming from Saphira. _Well I better join them._ He said to himself as he closed his eyes and entered the trance-like state that was his sleep.

**I usually put more into these little author notes but I can't really think of anything to say other than _Please Review_, of course some people may prefer it that way.**


	10. A revelation

**I'm sorry. I know that this story has been long over due for an update and I had intended to have it done so on Saturday but I had recieved some rather upsetting news over the weekend and I really didn't feel like finishing it at the time. Anyway, explanations aside, I hope this chapter makes up for it, enjoy.**

The irritating device buzzed just loud enough to rouse Eragon from his trance like sleep. He hated the thing, there was nothing worse to him than having to be woken before his body was ready to do it on its own. He rolled over and buried his head in the soft pillows, hoping that he was only dreaming that he had woken and would soon find himself in some inexplicable realm where he didn't have to do anything for anybody.

_If you don't shut that thing off I am going to eat it._ Saphira suddenly said to him, completely obliterating the possibility that he was dreaming. He groaned as he pulled his head up and slowly got out of his bed. He had placed the timepiece on the table across the room, as he had often found that he would turn it off and go back to sleep if it was in reach from his bed.

When the device switched off the buzzing was replaced with the sound of deep snoring and Eragon turned to find that Saphira had returned to sleep. He cursed the fact that she had no reason to get up as early as him, who had to shave and dress and make sure he had everything he needed for his training.

Ignoring the lazy dragoness for the time being, Eragon entered the small wash closet and used magic to shave the stubble on his face. He still hadn't mastered the art of shaving with a blade but his method resulted in the cleanest shave possible anyway so he had no intention of learning. He splashed water onto his face to further rouse himself and flatten the hair on his head before finally donning a fresh green tunic and the same brown breeches he had worn the night before.

Emerging from the closet, ready for his training, he proceeded to Saphira. He had learnt that it wasn't necessarily a good idea to wake her when she was obviously not ready to be woken, but he had no choice if he was to be on time for Oromis' lesson, which was in thirty minutes. He prodded her mind with his own, from a safe distance where she couldn't reach out and grab him, usually to force him back to sleep, which was the best way for her to be allowed to sleep.

In her tired state she did reach out, trying to grasp him, but he wasn't there to grasp. _You're getting smarter._ She said to him as he mentally prodded her again, _You will slip up soon though, you always do._ She got herself up, stretched, forelegs extended in front of her and her back arched, and gave a powerful yawn. After her pandiculation she sat down on her haunches and looked at Eragon. _I preferred it when we were travelling, at least then I got to sleep until I saw fit._

"Well we're not travelling anymore so you are going to have to put up with it, besides, you should set a good example, Spyro and Cynder need to get up too." Eragon replied. Saphira snorted at this.

_You woke me up before you woke them? I could have had an extra ten minutes by the time you woke those two up, I- _Saphira continued to rant on whilst Eragon walked past her and began to ascend the stairs to the study. _Are you listening to me?_ She said to him when he was halfway up.

He spoke to her mentally to make it easier to converse._ Of course I am._ He lied.

_Then what did I just say?_ She replied with a tone of irritation. She sensed his hesitation and jabbed him painfully with a mental probe. _I don't like being ignored, Eragon._

_Alright, alright. _He said as he placed his hand to his forehead. _I'm sorry, I won't do it again._ She stopped poking his mind with the painful probe and retreated.

_Much better._ She said. _It's only courteous to listen when being spoken to. _Eragon only grunted in response, still holding his head. He made a mental note to get her back for that probe and continued up the stairs. The candles had long since burned out and a light breeze blew down the stairs. When he reached the study he saw that the breeze hadn't been strong enough to blow the various pieces of parchment about and he actually welcomed the refreshing caress of the wind.

Despite this, however, he still moved to the open window and pulled on the membrane embedded into the wood. He glanced outside at the golden sky, the sun only just beginning to illuminate the vast ocean of green before him. He enjoyed being in Ellesmera, almost as much as he enjoyed Palancar Valley. He paused for a moment, admiring the view, then pulled the membrane across the space and fastened it to the other side of the gap, closing the window and preventing any sudden rushes of wind from ravaging the study.

He then turned towards the dais and was taken aback by what he saw. The two dragons were no longer at opposite ends of the dais from each other, in fact they were very close to one another, very close. They were huddled together, their heads touching and each had a wing draped over the other. Eragon was surprised at how they were sleeping together, they certainly didn't seem like they wanted to do it in the desert, but he definitely wasn't going to say anything about it.

He attempted to wake them in the same manner as he had done Saphira but once again their mental barriers kept him out of their minds. He had no idea who taught them how to do that, or if it was natural for them, but it was very effective. He had no choice but to gently shake their snouts with his outstretched hand, hoping that they wouldn't try to bite his hand as they regained consciousness.

They stirred and moaned a few times until Cynder opened her eyes. She felt an unusual warmth against her body but she was too tired to care. She shifted her head to the left and hit something. She wasn't expecting this and looked at what she hit. She then realised that it was Spyro by her side as her eyesight was completely blocked by the purple scales on his snout..

Eragon continued to prod Spyro until he too opened his eyes. He looked at Eragon briefly but his attention was suddenly caught by Cynder, who was looking directly at his snout from his side. He looked down the length of his body and noted her wing draped over his back and his wing over hers. "What are you doing?" He asked her.

"What am I doing? What are you doing?" She replied. "Why are you sleeping next to me?"

"I'm not, your sleeping next to me." The purple dragon responded.

"Actually you're both sleeping next to each other, you both have a wing over the other which means that neither one of you is more responsible than the other." Eragon stated as he moved to the bookcase to wake Sparx.

"Well I don't remember moving last night." Cynder said as she quickly, but carefully, removed herself from Spyro's side. "I remember putting that scroll down, Spyro moving to the other side of the dais, and then you going downstairs. After that I didn't move, I went straight to sleep."

"I didn't move either." Spyro added, whilst Eragon focused his attention on Sparx.

"I forgot to close the window last night and there was a breeze this morning, perhaps you moved together to escape the cold. Sometimes when you wake up in the middle of the night to get a drink you don't remember doing so in the morning, that happens to me anyway, maybe it happened to you two last night." Eragon said, pretending he had no interest in the matter.

"Do you really think that I'm going with you today, I am not going near a bunch of monsters that want to eat me." Sparx said, ignoring Eragon's gentle prodding.

"Sparx, you are coming today, you need to know about this place just as much as we do." Spyro said, thankful for the opportunity to change the subject he and Cynder were on.

"I'm not going!" Sparx defiantly exclaimed.

"You are, and if I have to freeze your wings to your body and carry you I will." Spyro frosted the tip of his snout to make his point and Sparx took note.

"No thanks, I'll fly." The dragonfly said, then moved off the bookshelf and took a seat on Spyro's back. "Or at least hitch a ride." Spyro sighed but figured that Sparx was at least coming and that there was no point in telling him to get off. He rubbed his snout clumsily with his foot to remove the frost he had created and then began to make his way to the staircase.

Cynder managed to get past him, however, and brushed against his side. "You missed a bit." She said as she brushed the tip of her tail against the left side of his snout. The sharp blade on the tip scraped across his scales and removed the frozen water crystals. She flicked her tail afterwards, water droplets flying across the room before descended down the stairs to the bedroom below.

"She could have slit your throat with that thing." Sparx said, when he though she was out of earshot. Spyro shook his head in disagreement. He had always admired Cynder's tail, it had the potential to cause a lot of damage to opponents, something which he thought was 'cool', as he once put it. However, he had never thought she could be so gentle with it, if she had asked first he would have definitely said no, fearing the pain it could inflict. Obviously she had much more control over her tail than he had previously thought.

He stood still for a moment, until Sparx began to get impatient and started to complain. "Sorry." Spyro said as he came back to his senses. He then followed Cynder down the stairs, leaving a confused Eragon in the study.

_What just happened?_ He asked himself. Saphira was in his mind at the time and heard this thought.

_Why, what's wrong?_ She asked. He told her everything he just saw and Saphira thought for a moment. _Nothing happened, she cleaned his snout that's all. You know, I had a conversation with Angela about this._

_About what?_ He asked as he came down the stairs.

_Apparently the males of your species see hidden meanings of intimacy in such gestures. Personally I don't see how, but maybe that's because I'm a dragon, if we like someone we just come out and say it, we don't beat around the bush, to use a borrowed expression. _

_Tell that to Glaedr._ He replied as he re-entered the bedroom. _You certainly didn't come out and tell him that you liked him, if I recall you were to busy trying to catch his attention with all your antics and flirting._

The high and mighty dragoness had no response to this and simply sat by the window, waiting for Eragon. Spyro and Cynder were by her side, looking out of the window at the forest below. "What sort of training is this going to be?" Spyro asked, briefly looking away from the window to address Eragon.

Eragon buckled the sword he had took from the slain slavers to his waist and fitted Saphira with the saddle that would make her more comfortable. "Before I left here and found you two I had just finished the training that made me a full rider, in title, role, and skill. I used to spar in the morning with an elf until I bested him. As such I have no idea what the training will be now, the elf that I trained with is now no match for me and I don't know what else Oromis can teach me."

"And what about us, what are we going to be doing?" Cynder asked.

_You two will most probably be accompanying me with Glaedr, he will have much to discuss with you two and will probably want to train you to fight._

"We don't know if we want to fight yet and both Spyro and I can look after ourselves without training." Cynder protested.

"We know you can fight and we know you have not decided on your position, but Glaedr will just want to make sure that you are capable of defending yourself." Eragon explained. "From what I understand the only dragons you have fought with are each other, albeit under strange circumstances. The dragons of today fight differently than you and you must know what to expect if you are forced to fight Thorn, or Shruikan." Cynder had to admit that Eragon made a very valid point.

"Well are we going to get going or are we just going to sit here talking about it." Sparx shouted, his frustration rising.

"I thought you didn't want to go." Cynder said to him, her eyes boring into his.

"I-I don't but if I'm being forced then I don't want to have to sit here doing nothing with the likes of you." Spyro shook his head, they always argued, no matter what the circumstances were. Frankly, he was growing tired of it.

"Please stop, we're all stuck here and you two can't even have a conversation together without it resulting in some sort of argument or one of you insulting the other." He shouted. Sparx, who was used to being told off by his surrogate brother, reluctantly silenced himself. Cynder, on the other hand had never been told off before. Sure she had been beaten, that was how the apes had 'tamed' her when she was first hatched, but she had never been told off.

She glared at Spyro for a few seconds but his gaze didn't falter, he kept eye contact with her, even going as far as not blinking. Then, for the first time since she had met the purple dragon, she averted her gaze, breaking eye contact with him before he could break it with her. _Why did I do that?_ She thought to herself, knowing that averting your gaze in an argument is a sign of weakness and timidity.

"Come on, we're going to be late." Eragon said from Saphira's back, completely interrupting everyone's thought patterns. Saphira left through the window and checked to see if it was safe for Spyro and Cynder to emerge. Eragon double checked with his mind and when he sensed that no one was nearby to see the two dragons he summoned them.

They quickly headed out above the forest, putting distance between Ellesmera and themselves and then doubled back, giving a wide berth to the city and it's occupants. This took them longer to reach their destination but it was necessary to avoid being seen. Doing so wasn't entirely risk free, of course. Many elves had forsaken the cities and chose to live in the forest, either as elf or some transfigured form, there were many elves, for example, that had changed their appearance to that of trees.

Despite these risks, they were not seen and were soon flying over the crags of Tel'naeír. The first thing the group noticed was the large form of Glaedr, he was lying down in front of the house, his head curled around the building, but stopping before he blocked the door. When he noticed the three dragons flying towards him he hobbled to his feet and positioned himself so that he could balance on his three legs.

_I trust you slept well._ Glaedr asked, addressing the question more to Cynder and Spyro than to Eragon and Saphira. They suddenly remembered the position they found themselves in when they had woken and found it hard to form a coherent response, they therefore simply nodded, which seemed to satisfy Glaedr. _Good, good. Now, you two will be accompanying me today, your time will be spent equally between me and Oromis, one day you shall be with me and Saphira, the next, Oromis and Eragon. That way you can learn about Alagaesia, magic and such other things with Eragon, and learn about dragon life and fighting manoeuvres with Saphira. Does that sound agreeable?_

The two dragons nodded again, after which Glaedr snorted in approval. _We shall begin immediately, there is not much for Saphira and Eragon to learn at this point but we will try to cater for you in their training. Now, follow me._ With that Glaedr began to lift himself off the ground, Saphira following suit. Spyro and Cynder looked at Eragon, who had begun his way to Oromis' hut, before they too took off in pursuit of the golden dragon.

--

_I only want to see them._ Murtagh replied. He was walking through the castle's hallways towards the most luxurious chambers. He himself had a chamber in these hallways but that wasn't where he was heading.

_You do not want to give the wrong impression to the rider._ Thorn said, trying in vain to keep Murtagh from going through with it. _If you appear that you do not follow the King without question then, depending on who this rider is, you may be reported. Alternatively, if you appear as if you support the King then the rider may turn against you in battle if the rider is against the King._

Murtagh knew that Thorn made a good point but he thought the risks were outweighed by the benefits. _If this rider is of the same opinion of the King as I am then it will be much easier to escape him. With two riders I'm sure that we could think of a way to circumvent Galbatorix's hold over us._

A feeling of reluctant acceptance entered Murtagh's mind and he smiled, knowing he had won the argument. Murtagh reached out with his mind as he walked down the final corridor, he knew that the rider had a bed chamber on this corridor, but he had no idea which door led to the rider's room. There was not a single presence in most of the rooms he walked past, the odd one contained a maiden, who had undoubtedly preformed services to the king, in some form or another, to receive such exquisite rooms.

At the end of the corridor, however, Murtagh's mind brushed against another. This other mind flinched slightly and hastily began to through up barriers to block Murtagh. He noted the weakness of the barriers and came to the conclusion that the new rider had received no knowledge of magic or mental training before becoming a rider.

To prevent any misunderstandings, he retreated from the other rider's mind and knocked on the door. Their was silence for a few seconds and Murtagh was going to knock again before a small voice sounded on the other side. "Come in." Murtagh noted the timidity of the reply and then opened the door.

As per usual with the rooms in this section of the castle, his eyes were greeted by the fine tapestries and cloths that adorned the walls. He entered the room and shut the door behind him. He then looked towards the large bed against the wall, upon which was sat a young woman, a green dragon hatchling lay on the bed beside her, his head in her lap and his eyes fixed intently on Murtagh.

He bowed his head in acknowledgement to the rider and spoke to her. "Eka aí fricai un Shur'tugal." He, of course, realised the audacity of this statement but he certainly considered himself a rider more so than Galbatorix's right hand man, which he technically was, which in a way, made the rider before him Galbatorix's left hand.

She looked at him with confusion before speaking. "I'm sorry but I haven't been taught the ancient language to a passable level yet, the only word I recognised was Shur'tugal." Her voice sounded calm and polite, but Murtagh sensed that this woman had once been a hardy woman, someone who a normal person wouldn't have wanted to upset in the past.

"I said I am a rider and friend. It seems the King has only just begun to teach you." Upon finishing his sentence the young dragon in the woman's lap began to growl. The woman looked at the dragon and seemed to be speaking with him. A few seconds passed and the dragon stopped growling, his eyes remained fixed on Murtagh, however.

"Please forgive Fyrenze, he is under the impression that you not to be trusted." She told Murtagh. He looked at the dragon for a moment before answering.

"It all depends on how we view each other doesn't it. As of yet I have not given you a reason to trust me nor for you to distrust me. Interesting name you gave to your dragon, nice play on words." She gave a half hearted smile, not really wanting to get into the reason behind the name. She would normally never have used a name such as that, but when Galbatorix demanded a name be given to the dragon she felt a force take a hold of her mind. It warped her thoughts and made her choose Fyrenze, despite the fact that it sounded exactly like the word 'frenzy'.

"I heard that you named yours Thorn, I do believe your reason for the name wasn't because you thought it cute." She had gained a bit more of her confidence back now, and was beginning to find it easier to talk to this rider.

"You're right about that." He replied with a smirk. "The name tends to grow on you, of course the names we chose will undoubtedly imprint on peoples minds, especially after whatever acts we commit." He watched her carefully for her response, he needed a sign, any sign, as long as it showed either disgust at the acts the King would force this rider to commit or eagerness at the thought of doing so.

The rider looked away when Murtagh said this. "I have no idea who you are as a person but I want no part of all this." She said, waving her arms about her head, her auburn hair flailing about. "I'll admit that being bonded to Fyrenze is probably the best thing that has ever happened to me, I can talk to him for hours, but it cost me greatly for it to happen." She paused for a moment as a quiet sob escaped her. "I have lost my freedom, I am being forced to learn things that should never be taught, and the worst of all is that once Fyrenze is large enough I will be sent on a mission to capture my betrothed's cousin."

This statement startled Murtagh. "Eragon, you know him?" She looked at him as he asked her. "Who are you?" He further questioned. The young girl, of around seventeen, looked at Murtagh, she absent-mindedly straightened her copper hair and then answered him.

"Of course I know Eragon, we grew up in Carvahall, I'm…well, was engaged to wed his cousin, Roran. My name is Katrina." She said, whilst the green dragon on her lap growled approvingly as she rubbed her palm on his snout, the Gedwëy ignasia sending tingles through the dragon's flesh.

**Well there's a nice little twist for you, Review and tell me what you think. Just as a warning, ****I am going to be very busy over the next few weeks and that news I mentioned at the start of the chapter REALLY isn't going to help things, as such you may be waiting for an update as long as you did for this one, maybe longer. I would really appreciate the patience, it would mean a lot. Once again review please.**


	11. The last of the old

**Sorry for the wait on this one, I had a lot to do over the past week and I haven't had much time to write but I believe it is worth the wait. Enjoy.**

"Young dragon, you have been forgotten, lost amidst the sands of time and left behind by the rest of your race. But you are not alone, find me Spyro, you know where to find me."

--

Spyro woke with a start, bumping into Cynder, who growled quietly at being woken before she had to. Since that night that they had woken up together, side by side, they had found that, despite how much care they took to remain apart from each other, they would wake up the following morning together again. They did not know why, and both were adamant that they weren't getting up in the night and moving, but eventually they decided to just go along with it, they no longer felt uncomfortable doing so and they saw nothing intimate in it either.

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked as she yawned. She was, once again, wearing the iron jewellery on her forelegs, neck, and tail, that she had worn whilst corrupted by Malefor. During their training she had expressed distress when recalling her memories whilst meditating. Those memories terrified her only because she feared becoming what she once was again. It was Oromis that suggested the jewellery. He mused that donning the semblance of her former self would help her confront her fears. He extracted the designs for them from Cynder's mind and made them himself. So far it was working, Cynder had been able to discuss her memories a little more easily, though she was still prone to the occasional panic attack.

"I don't know, I've been having dreams again these past few weeks." He seemed troubled and he shook slightly against Cynder.

"What types of dreams?" She asked, recalling her own dreams that played her memories back to her repeatedly, the same dragons and innocent creatures dying by her teeth and claws, night after night, after night.

"They were the ones that guided me to the Chronicler, who then told me where to find you." He paused for a moment as he repeated the words said to him. "He still can't be alive, can he?" A sound came from downstairs and the two dragons hastily dropped their heads into the dais, banging their heads together, muttering expressions of pain and then pretended to be asleep.

Footsteps echoed up the staircase as Eragon ascended them. Spyro and Cynder remained motionless, feeling the sore dull aches from where their heads collided and the warmth from the other's body. Eragon stood at the top at the staircase for a minute as he looked at the two dragons before turning around and descending again. The dragons waited a few minutes after he had left before moving their heads apart and looking up.

_Perhaps it best we talk like this, it's still too early and I don't want to wake Saphira, she's cranky in the morning. _Cynder said as she rubbed her head. _And be careful next time, that hurt._ The two dragons had been tutored in using their minds to talk to one another. It had taken them a week to learn how to lower their natural mental barriers but once they had they found that they could extend their minds, feeling other creatures around them. When they first entered each other's minds they had retreated immediately when they learnt personal memories and feelings that weren't they're own, Oromis had to teach them how to block certain memories from others and how to enter someone's mind without invading their privacy.

_It wasn't my fault._ Spyro defended himself. _I placed my head down exactly where it was before I woke up, you bumped into me. It doesn't matter anyway, it's not like we did it on purpose._

_I guess you're right, sorry._ Cynder replied._ So, you were saying about this Chronicler person._

_Yeah, he guided me to him before the night of eternal darkness so that I could remain safe until I could fight Malefor. I refused to stay whilst everyone else was left alone against Malefor, I left to find you. _Cynder paused for a moment as Spyro finished. A lot of his actions seemed to revolve around her she noted, but rather than question him on it she decided to let it rest, at least for now.

_And you think he's contacting you again?_

_The dream felt real, and the words spoken to me are as cryptic as ever, apparently I know where to find him._

_How could you possibly know that, we're who knows how far into the future, he would have surely moved from wherever he was last._

_Well he last lived in seclusion on the White Isle, whether that isle still exists is another matter entirely._

_We could always ask Eragon, he's smart. _Cynder mused as she twiddled with her foreleg bracelets, ignoring the questioning glance from Spyro.

_Or Saphira, she's even smarter. _He suggested, which was, in fact, the better option.

_Depends on what topic you want, I think Eragon would be better suited._ Cynder persisted, which further confused Spyro.

_Maybe we should ask them both at the same time._ He offered as a compromise. Cynder actually seemed to hesitate which surprised Spyro, as if she would have preferred to just include Eragon. He was about to try and persuade her further but she finally nodded and accepted his compromise. _It is the best choice._

_I suppose so._ She sounded disappointed._ But we can't ask them until the morning so I suggest we get some more sleep. _She lowered her head down on to the sheets in the dais and Spyro watched her for a second before lowering his head next to hers.

--

Saphira's heartbeat began to increase as her body began to wake itself, her muscles twitching and her breathing growing faster. Then her bony eyelids clicked open, her pupils contracted as the bright light from the outside struck her eyes. _No training today, why is it when I don't have to wake up I do?_ She asked herself as she moved onto her back and yawned at the ceiling.

She remained stretched out on her back, her tail slowly and smoothly moving side to side as it hung out of the edge of her dais. She listened to the steady sound of Eragon's breathing, the monotonous rhythm almost lulling her back to sleep. A bird call from the window roused her again and she growled quietly to herself. The sound of Eragon's breathing then became an annoyance and she rose to her feet.

She quietly moved to Eragon's bed not wanting to wake him before she got her chance. She moved her head over his body and gently gripped the sheets between her teeth before pulling them back and exposing Eragon to the cold breeze coming from the window. He shivered slightly and curled up for extra warmth. Saphira shuddered in anticipation for what she was about to do.

Spyro had been teaching her how to harness her latent ice abilities. She had not mastered it, and could not create ice but she could generate an almost frigid breath, not enough to use as a weapon, but enough to wake a sleeping person. She lowered her head over his body, inhaled, and then breathed on the young rider. The effect was almost instantaneous. His eyes shot open and he yelped as he scrabbled away from the cold breath. He was shaking and he lunged for the sheets that Saphira had carefully positioned close by so Eragon could wrap himself up in them.

"T-that's c-c-c-c-cold, Sa-Sa-Saphira!" He stuttered as he wrapped himself up in the sheets, shivering.

_Oh, I'm sorry, allow me to warm you up._ She replied, punctuating her statement with a trickle of smoke from her nostrils. Eragon sat there shivering away, actually considered her offer. He decided he was far too cold.

"O-ok, just d-d-don't get me t-too close." He then moved into the middle of the room, leaving the sheets on the bed and tucking his hands into his armpits for non-existent warmth.

_Are you sure? I was only jesting, I could hurt you._ Saphira said as she moved in front of him, worry in her eyes.

"T-then you shouldn't ha-have woken me like t-that. I'm fr-fr-freezing and the c-cold is blocking m-m-my magic, warm me up." He gave the last three words like an order. Saphira opened her maw and prepared to release a flame…but stopped at the last minute and closed her jaws with a snap. "W-what are you d-doing?" Eragon asked again as he gave a particularly violent shiver.

_I may burn you, I'll warm you up with a different and much safer method. _With that she moved over to him and gripped him with her forelimbs. He struggled against her but she was relentless and she lifted him up and carried him to her dais where she lay down with him. _I didn't realise you would feel the cold so strongly, I'm sorry, little one._ She said as she pulled him close to her body and wrapped him in her wings.

Eragon felt the warmth seep into his muscles as he lay there and his shivers soon turned into light trembles. "I'm just grateful that you haven't mastered it yet, I don't want to lose my limbs to frostbite."

_I won't do it again._ She said with remorse as she nuzzled him. They both then lay there for a good thirty minutes, Eragon dozing off again and Saphira not far from joining him. She had almost given in when she heard the awkward footsteps of dragons climbing down the tight staircase. Cynder emerged from the staircase first, closely followed by Spyro.

They both looked at Eragon's bed and then to Saphira. "Where's Eragon?" Spyro asked. In response Saphira pulled back her wings from her front and revealed Eragon in her arms.

_I played a practical joke on him this morning, it didn't go very well._ She explained as the two dragons looked at him quizzically.

"Is he alright?" Cynder questioned. Saphira nodded her head and began nosing Eragon's chest. He shifted but didn't wake until Saphira dangled him by his leg from her right foreleg.

"What in blazes? Saphira! You can easily wake me up with a prod of your mind, why do you insist on waking me in such a harsh manner?" Saphira gave a grating, throaty chuckle as Eragon dangled helplessly from her.

_It's a lot more fun the way I do it, little one. _She gently placed him down on his back, after which he promptly got up and brushed himself off. _Of course I'll try to refrain from chilling you to the soul in future. _Eragon just grunted and sat on the end of his bed, annoyed at having his day off already started much earlier than he would have liked. He placed his head in his hands as Spyro and Cynder sat in front of him.

"Eragon, can we ask you a question?" Spyro asked. Eragon yawned and then nodded in reply. "Have you ever heard of the White Isle?" Eragon thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Where have you heard that before?" He asked.

"I've been having dreams. I've had them before and they were sent to me by a dragon named the Chronicler. The dream told me to find him and that I know how to, the problem is that, even if he is still alive to send me those dreams, he must have moved on from where I saw him last, which was the White Isle."

_I know of no Isle by that name, but even so, there are only a few islands that are known in Alagaesia. How big was this White Isle? _Saphira asked.

"Not incredibly large, a few square kilometres, but then the land has changed since then, if it's still an island it may be much bigger…or smaller." Spyro answered.

"When we first met you mentioned the tall plains, I'm guessing that was the Boers you were referring to?" Eragon inquired. Spyro and Cynder, who had now been educated on the lands and studied the maps of Alagaesia as a part of there training, nodded. "Was there any other realms that match any traits of the lands here today?"

"Well I guess the Ancient Grove could have become Du Weldenvarden. The trees in that forest were often immense and contained strange creatures," Spyro mused, "The temple, and the great forest around it with the Silver lake flowing through it, may have been where the Ramr River flows. That river is more or less in the centre of the map, aside from the Hadarac and I remember it took about the same time to travel the distance to the three different realms to rescue the guardians, I don't know what happened to the forest though.

"The mountain of Malefor obviously became Helgrind, and Dante's freezer could have become the Spine, it's bitterly cold up there in the winter and being connected to land may have warmed Dante's freezer enough so that it isn't constantly covered in ice." Cynder continued, her knowledge on a few realms being superior to Spyro's due to her ruling over them. "Munitions forge was near a volcano, it erupted not long after I captured Ignitus there and met and tried to capture Spyro for the first time." Cynder paused for a moment after saying this. The others waited patiently for her to regain herself and then she continued. "It was always hot there due to the volcano, not much grew there too so I guess that place could have become the Hadarac."

"What about your lair, where might that have been?" Spyro inquired as he remembered her immense castle and the dark area surrounding it, she had had a thing for dark places, well, she still did, but to a lesser extent. Cynder looked at him with a slight grimace on her face.

"That place wasn't anywhere in particular, I forced my slaves to build it and they did. I guess if it was anywhere it would have been near Surda, I remember it didn't take long to get to my home from the Tall plains, but longer to get to Dante's freezer."

"Right then." Eragon said. "What traits did the White Isle have?" Cynder, who had never been to the Isle couldn't describe it, so she remained silent.

"By the name you can tell it was white, or more of a bluish colour. It was covered in Ice and snow with deep chasms and strange creatures-" Spyro stopped mid-sentence when a knock was heard at the trap door.

"Upstairs, quick!" Eragon blurted out and Spyro and Cynder ran for the staircase, reaching it at the same time. "One at a time, one at a time." Eragon whispered as they both got stuck in the narrow opening.

"Spyro, you idiot, move!" Cynder hissed as they struggled in the gap.

"It's not my fault. Ow, don't move forwards when I move back, your scratching my scales." Spyro replied. Saphira snorted at the two struggling dragons and gripped Spyro's tail in her teeth. He jumped, "HEY!" He shouted as Saphira helped pull him free.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" Cynder exclaimed as Spyro was roughly pulled out of the staircase, scraping her side. As soon as he was free, Cynder shot up the stairs, Spyro following seconds later. When Eragon was sure that they had reached the study, and had found a place to be quiet, he moved to the trap door and opened it.

A young looking elf, although young for elves could be a couple hundred years, was looking up at Eragon. He initiated the eleven greetings and then spoke. "Excuse me, Eragon, but I have been sent by Glaedr, he wishes to speak with you and Saphira. He also asked me to tell you to bring the usual, he assured me that you would understand." Eragon nodded and the elf removed himself, the trap door closing behind him.

_I wonder what he wants to speak to us about._ Saphira said as she moved over to her saddle by the window.

Eragon began to fit it to her and sent a quick message to Cynder with his mind. "I don't know, but it must be important for him to call us on our day off, they always said that days of rest are just as important as our training." Cynder and Spyro came back down the stairs and stood by Saphira, who was now wearing her saddle.

"What do you think he wants to speak to us about?" Cynder asked whilst Eragon climbed into the saddle.

"I don't know, but we shouldn't keep them waiting, let's go." Eragon instructed as Saphira leapt out of the window and did her usual reconnaissance, so that Spyro and Cynder could join them. It didn't take long for them to get away from the city, only waiting a minute for an elf to leave the area.

Halfway to the Crags of Tel'naeír Eragon felt a gentle push against his mind. He lowered his barriers and allowed the presence into his mind. _Eragon?_ Cynder's voice said into his head.

_Yes, Cynder?_ Eragon asked, already having a small inclination as to what she wanted.

_Is it alright if we have another talk tonight, I have some stuff on my mind. _She asked, confirming his suspicion. He and Cynder had spent many nights talking about the things on their minds. Cynder had opened up to Eragon more than anyone else, including Spyro, and Eragon, although Saphira was always there for him for anything, found it therapeutic to discuss his own problems with the black and red dragoness. They both had things in common. One was their problems, Cynder with her guilt over her corruption, and Eragon with his guilt over his parentage. And the second was that they had no control over their problems, Cynder hadn't chosen to be corrupted and Eragon hadn't chosen his parents.

_Of course, Cynder, I'd be happy to. _Eragon replied.

_Thank you. _She said before retreating from his mind. They then continued in silence until they finally reached Oromis' hut, with Glaedr sat on his haunches in front of it. The three dragons and rider landed in front of Glaedr, who was leaning over a large puddle of water taken from the stream. He was staring at it intently until he noticed the four.

_Thank you for coming so promptly._ He said as he looked at them.

"Not at all, ebrithil, may I ask what you are doing with the puddle." Eragon said as he looked from the puddle to Glaedr.

_Ah, that isn't why I asked you to come but I would still like to show you something. _The ancient dragon said with an excited tone in his voice. He leant back over the puddle and lowered his snout to it. The other four watched as he opened his maw and then they heard him breath out. They then saw tiny yellow flashes of light dance on the surface of the water. They sparked and fizzed until Glaedr stopped breathing and the sparks dissipated.

"You've been practicing." Spyro said with a broad smile. Glaedr nodded.

_I have. I can not yet produce electricity without the use of water as a medium, but with time I am sure I will master the element of electricity. Now, as to the reason to why I brought you here. _Glaedr limped over to the side of the hut and blocked the door. _Oromis is dying, and soon, in fact he is only alive because I am keeping him so. _

After hearing this both Eragon and Saphira felt an immense sadness grow within them. Even Cynder and Spyro felt something for the inevitable passing of Oromis, despite only knowing him for a short while. _Doesn't that mean you are dying?_ Saphira asked, her eyes had the tell tale signs of tears forming but they were held in check by her pride; dragons do not cry unless there are exceptional circumstances, such as the ones at the Ra'zac's lair.

_Yes. _Glaedr said but then he continued. _Although, there is a way for me to survive my rider's death. Oromis wants me to live on, believing that I am still useful to future dragons. I would rather follow my rider into the void like the dragons before me…but I can not doubt the wisdom of me staying behind. It pains me more than anything but Oromis is right, I must live whilst he passes on._

Eragon could feel the pain that Glaedr was in, he understood. Saphira also understood what Glaedr was feeling. If Eragon was dying she wanted nothing more than to die with him, not wanting to face life alone without him. "I thought that a rider's dragon died when the rider died, without exception." Eragon said, thinking about the prospect of losing Saphira, like Brom had lost his dragon.

_There was a method used by the riders to separate bonded dragons from their riders, usually as a punishment but sometimes necessary if the rider was dying and the dragon was needed, for example if the dragon was truly an exceptional teacher in the council. You, Eragon, must enter my mind and sever my bond to Oromis. _Eragon shook his head repeatedly in defiance, tears flowing freely from his eyes. _Eragon you must, I will die if you do not and there is no other that I wish to do it. You and Saphira have given Oromis and I such joy as we trained you, giving us hope for the future as we gave you our knowledge and turned you into the rider you needed to be. You two are our greatest achievement and we wish you to help us._

Eragon stood motionless for a while until he finally nodded. "What do you need me to do?"

_Thank you, Eragon. You must enter my mind and sift through my memories to the very first of Oromis touching me to create the bond, there should be a string of energy, much like the barrier in your mind that separates you from your magic, you must cut this string and the bond will be broken. As soon as the bond has been broken Oromis will die, no longer receiving energy from me to sustain him. I assure you, this is what he wants. _Eragon once again hesitated.

_Eragon, you should do this. _Saphira said to him, placing her snout against his shoulder._ It is what they want and it does make se__nse to do so, Glaedr is still capable of teaching he is only dying due to Oromis, otherwise he is in perfect health. _Eragon nodded. _There is no greater pain than living without your bonded partner, I would never be able to live without you and that is why dragons die with their riders, we protect you and love you more than any other creature, even our chosen mates. What Glaedr is doing requires immense courage and strength, respect that and do what he asks._

Eragon moved to Glaedr and placed his hand on the enormous golden scales on his leg. He then gently pushed against Glaedr's mind until he was allowed admittance. Eragon discovered that every single one of Glaedr's mental barriers had been taken down, Eragon could access any of the dragon's memories and take any piece of knowledge that he wanted. But he wasn't going to, he respected Glaedr too much to look upon his memories and learn what Glaedr never wanted him to know. Instead he focused only on Oromis and even then quickly brushed aside the memories that weren't concerning their bond.

Even so, Eragon still learnt more about the dragon. Memories shined in Eragon's mind, so vividly that it didn't matter how quickly Eragon cast them aside, they were etched into his mind. Images of the rider's fall and Oromis' torture at the hands of the forsworn, Oromis trying his best to reattach the severed limb on Glaedr's leg but ultimately failing, Oromis standing at the entrance of a cave, whilst Glaedr lay next to a powerful looking, amber dragoness, a clutch of eggs lying between them. All these memories flashed in Eragon's mind so quickly that most were forgotten as new ones took their place.

After what seemed like an age, Eragon started viewing memories of Glaedr as a much smaller dragon and soon he witnessed the training of Oromis and Glaedr. It was strange seeing Glaedr as such a small dragon and seeing Oromis with the elven youth of a twenty year old, to Eragon he looked no older than fourteen. He watched them laugh and talk and the various romances that they felt for their fellow rider's and dragons, Eragon thought that he recognised the amber dragoness that had been lying with Glaedr but he wasn't sure.

Finally, Eragon came across Glaedr's very first memory. Oromis was standing over the golden hatchling and reaching out with his palm. Glaedr seemed to consider the palm for a moment before extending his neck, touching his snout against the flesh. Eragon watched this memory a few times before looking for the bond. He kept the memory in his mind so that he would have an anchor should he stray too far.

A surge of energy drew Eragon towards it and he felt the power of the bond of the dragon riders. It seemed to flow two ways, but the flow from Glaedr to Oromis was much greater. Eragon hesitated once more before deciding within himself that this was the best choice. He pushed against the energy, feeling it strain against him. It held fast but Eragon would not be denied, not after what he had witnessed in Glaedr's memories. He doubled his efforts and soon he felt the bond fraying, strands of energy extending off into different places, finding nowhere to go, and then dissipating. After a few minutes the bond finally bended, and Eragon, with one final push, cut it in half at the bend.

Both ends of the bond squirmed like snakes until they finally retracted back to their sources, one to Glaedr and the much smaller and weaker one to Oromis. With his task complete Eragon retreated from Glaedr's mind and returned to his own body. He felt tired, and stumbled, but Saphira caught him. _You did well, little one._ She said to him.

Glaedr was asleep before them, the strain on his mind from the bond breaking too much for him. Eragon struggled against Saphira's grip and she put him down. He walked past Spyro and Cynder, who realised that they had watched something both remarkable and terrible at the same time. Eragon did not stop to speak to them. He carried on to Oromis' hut and entered through the door.

Oromis was lay on his bed, his hands on his chest, gripping the hilt of Naegling. Eragon moved over to the elf and place his hand on his chest. It was motionless. Eragon then extended his mind towards the body before him. No mind was there to feel. Oromis, the last of the dragon riders of old was dead, leaving Eragon the last fully trained rider. The last of the old, but the beginning of the new.


	12. The final farewell

**I worked hard on this chapter, I hope the emotions come across as they should.**

It was a strange feeling seeing Oromis lying motionless. It was hard to describe, sadness, anger, confusion and disbelief, all rolled into one overwhelming storm that raged within Eragon's soul. A stray leaf had flown in from the window and tangled itself in the deceased elf's white hair. Eragon made to remove it but as his hand came within an inch of it he stopped. It actually seemed fitting to leave the leaf as it was; Oromis was an elf after all and loved the forest that he called home.

_Are you alright, little one._ Saphira said to him. She couldn't fit into the hut so she was using his eyes again; his irises had taken on a tint of sapphire as evidence of this. He knew she was feeling the same as him, but to a lesser extent. Oromis was the third father figure to him that had died due to the empire, if it hadn't been for Galbatorix' Forsworn Oromis may have been able to cure himself of his ailment.

His anger at the Empire began to swell and Saphira felt it. _Eragon, I know that you are feeli- _He shut her out as his anger overwhelmed him, he couldn't help but look back at the deaths, Garrow, Brom, and now Oromis. He had to let it go and in one quick outburst he punched the wall, his elven strength and speed providing him the necessary power to force his arm straight through the wooden wall, cutting his arm as it did so.

The sharp pains up his arm snapped him out of his rage and he carefully retracted his arm. He looked down at the deep gashes and the splinters protruding out of it before looking at the hole he had created. Both Cynder and Spyro were looking at him from outside. They both had sympathetic looks and just sat there on their hind legs, not making a sound. "Sorry," He muttered, "Gath!" He said a little louder and the splintered bits of wood began to come together. It was slightly painful when the splinters in his arm came loose and joined the rest of the wood but it didn't cause him much harm. Soon the wall had returned to its former state, obscuring Spyro and Cynder once again.

Now that his anger had subsided he could feel Saphira still trying to contact him. _I'm sorry, Saphira, I lost control there for a second._

_I know, little one, I felt it. Come outside so we can be strong together. _Eragon agreed to her request and prepared himself to leave. He took another glance at Oromis, noting how relaxed his face looked for the first time since he returned to Ellesmera with Saphira. In that brief moment he felt happy that the ancient elf had finally found rest and an escape from the turmoil of his time.

"Atradu evarínya ono varda, Oromis-elda." Eragon said, twisting his palm into a gesture that symbolized a final fair well. He then turned and made his way back to the door, taking in every decoration, every ornament, every piece of furniture that Oromis had collected or made, each one a brief insight into his life. With one final glance around the room Eragon opened the door and emerged into the sunlight.

Glaedr was still unconscious on the floor but he was still alive, his immense size made his breathing difficult to ignore, it was three times the volume of Saphira's. Saphira was sitting close by waiting for Eragon to join her and Spyro and Cynder had returned from the side of the house and were now sitting by Saphira's tail. _You did the right thing, little one. We both knew Oromis was not well, and, although it is upsetting, it was inevitable, we can not change what has happened, only accept it and move on._

Eragon nodded in agreement. In fact, after his small outburst, he felt slightly better, Glaedr was still alive and Oromis was no longer suffering due to his disability. What upset Eragon the most was how Glaedr would feel about the loss of Oromis. In Carvahall he had never really lost anyone he cared about. But he did relate with the villagers that did, upsetting himself by thinking about how they must feel and then trying to comprehend how they must feel by imagining what it would be like if he had lost Roran or Garrow.

He found it odd that he would do that to himself but it was a habit of his. He had, of course, experienced his own losses since then but had never really had the time to grieve them; they always just grouped together and came out in one quick burst before receding again without any real progress.

_We need to tell Islanzadí, little one. _Saphira said to him. He was still lost in his own thoughts and didn't hear her. _Little one?_ She asked him, nudging his shoulder. This snapped him out of it and he looked her. _We need to tell Islanzadí._ She repeated. She crouched down so he could climb on but he didn't move.

"I can call her from here, Ellesmera isn't out of my reach and I'm sure I could locate her and get my message to her." Eragon then extended his mind to its limits and began to sift through the minds that inhabited Tialdari Hall. It didn't take him long until he found the Queen and delivered his message.

_You shouldn't have done that._ Saphira told him when he returned back to his mind. _Undoubtedly a group of elves will be coming to this location and Spyro and Cynder are still here, they can't fly back to the tree house as they will be seen by the elves coming from that direction. _Eragon's face suddenly dropped as she said this to him and he quickly extended his mind. Several elves were indeed heading towards them, Islanzadi at the front of them all.

"Oops I forgot." He said rather dumbly.

"What do we do now, we haven't decided what we're going to do yet and the Queen will probably want to know where we stand." Spyro said taking a step forward.

"Quick, we'll hide in the forest; if we're silent they shouldn't discover us." Cynder suggested and then ran towards the trees, Spyro following along. Eragon and Saphira watched them run, noting how differently they ran to Saphira; they seemed to bound rather than run.

_Do you think the queen would really try to coerce them into fighting?_ Saphira asked as she watched them disappear into the forest. Both she and Eragon were following them with their minds and knew exactly where the two dragons had stopped; only a few meters into the forest behind a very large tree.

_I don't know. She is in the midst of preparing to invade, and she may not realise that they are not the same dragons as you._ Eragon answered as he climbed into Saphira's saddle._ No, I won't let her. She may be a queen but I am a rider and I will forbid her to force them into the war, if they want to fight then they will tell us._

_You have grown wiser, little one, that was exactly what I was thinking._ Saphira replied.

_I learnt from the best._ He said as he patted the side of her neck, causing her to hum. They both waited for at least thirty minutes. During that time they discussed their memories of Oromis and their feelings about his death. It was therapeutic for Eragon to do so, he had not had much chance to ever discuss a death in length and he planned to do it all in one go when he had the time.

It wasn't until the first few elves emerged from the forest that Saphira and Eragon stopped their discussions. Saphira stood proudly as they approached, whist Eragon sat with his back straight and his head held high. Each of the elves moved slowly and in a sombre manner as they walked past Saphira. They stopped only when they reached Oromis' hut, lining up on either side of the door and forming a corridor, which Eragon presumed Oromis' body would be carried through.

The only elf that approached the dragon and rider was Islanzadí herself. When she approached she and Eragon performed the typical greeting before she spoke. "I'm sorry I wasn't here to witness his death, he and I were close friends." She looked over at Glaedr and then turned back towards Eragon. "I see Glaedr is still alive, I presume that you are responsible for it."

"I am, Glaedr expressed Oromis final wish to me that Glaedr must live so that he could carry on teaching any new dragons that are hatched. We hope that we can recover the green egg before it hatches and even if not, we still hold our hopes that there are still dragons else where…perhaps closer than we think." Islanzadí nodded and then turned to the hut.

"We will prepare his body for the final farewell. As you know we do not worship gods so our rituals may be confusing to you. When the sun has set he will be honoured by all the elves in Ellesmera, very few will speak words about him before his body is taken and consumed by flames." Eragon nodded despite the fact that Islanzadí was not looking at him. "As you know Oromis is the last of the House of Thrándurin, he has no other family members and as such I can think of only myself, Glaedr, and you and Saphira who can speak of him during the farewell."

"I understand." He said as an elf approached Islanzadí. He spoke quietly to her and she responded. Finally the elf nodded and ran to another elf, who nodded to him and then they both ran into the forest, in the exact same place Cynder and Spyro had entered. "Is there something wrong?" Eragon quickly asked, inclining his head to the elves.

"Oh, no, they just sensed two magical creatures quite close to the forest edge. There are a few creatures in these forests that are attracted to death, no matter how fresh it is. It is probably a couple of such creatures thinking they have found a meal, those two elves will move them on their way." She replied. Eragon looked down at Saphira who had turned her head so that one of her eyes could look back at him.

A few seconds later a sudden yell was heard coming from the forest that was then quickly cut short. Islanzadí motioned for the elves in the area to move into that area and she drew a knife from her side. Seeing the elves advance, Saphira surged forward and roared. The elves stopped in their tracks as she rampaged past them and blocked their way into the forest. "Eragon, Saphira, what is the meaning of this?" Islanzadí shouted as she made her way to the front of the group.

"I'm sorry, but we cannot allow you into the forest." He told her whilst smoke blew forth from Saphira's nostrils. She looked at him and then to Saphira and questioned why. "We will show you why." He replied. He then contacted Cynder and Spyro. _Come out of the forest, we knew you would be discovered sooner or later._

_We didn't mean to do it._ Spyro's voice came back.

_They startled us._ Cynder added.

_It's ok, just come out and we will protect you._ Saphira told them. After a few seconds a rustling was heard coming from behind Saphira and the elves watched in disbelief as two young dragons appeared from behind her.

"Where did they come from?" Islanzadí asked as she stared.

"This is Spyro and Cynder." Eragon told the elves. "We discovered them in the Vault of Souls in Helgrind. We have every reason to believe that they were frozen in time long before this land was formed and dragons like Saphira existed."

"I would love to hear all about it, but at the moment I am happy that we have two new dragons to fight with us, Galbatorix has two already and they out numbered you." She said to him, still staring at the two dragons, who had now put their heads down and stared at the floor.

"I forbid you." Eragon suddenly said, startling all the elves, including Islanzadí.

"Excuse me?" She asked, her eyes showing shock.

"I forbid you to implement these dragons in your plans, or any plans for that matter. They are not apart of any faction in our conflict and will only fight if they so choose." He told her, with more authority than he had ever spoken with before.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" Was the Queen's reply, she did not shout, however, but her voice did contain annoyance. "Who are you to forbid me anything?"

"I am Eragon Shadeslayer, head of the riders, of course." He simply answered, showing no sign that he was fazed by her voice. "You may have authority over your own people but you have no authority over me, or any other race. As such I will act in the best interests of these two dragons like the riders would have done before me when they watched over Alagaesia."

The elves remained quiet as Eragon finished. They watched the scene before them intently, awaiting their queen's response. "As you wish, rider Eragon." She said. "But bear in mind you are still in my kingdom and should you wish to stay here you would do wise to show me a little more respect, you could have easily expressed your terms in a more tactful manner."

"I meant no disrespect, Islanzadí Dröttning, I only wished for my terms to be understood completely." He said, a little more respectful.

"And they are." She confirmed. She then motioned for the elves to continue their proceedings and sent two elves to find out what happened to the elves in the forest. "You actually spoke with authority then, rider. You would do well to not forget how to do that, it will serve you should you need to enforce your authority again."

_I'm proud of you, little one._ Saphira told him. He rubbed his head with a smile and took a glance at Spyro and Cynder, they were both looking back at him with thankful expressions. A noise behind them all caught their attention and the group witnessed two elves emerge from the forest, each using magic to carry an elf encased in ice, and another elf who seemed to be paralysed in place.

"Like we said, we didn't mean to, I froze that one and Cynder did something strange to the other." Spyro had an apologetic tone in his voice.

"They should be fine, Spyro's ice will melt without causing the elf any harm and I used my fear…thing, I'm learning how to control it now but it should wear off at some point." Cynder said as she looked at the elf she had paralysed through fear. "I don't like that fear power, it's bad enough that people were already scared of me, now I have a power that terrifies them into paralysis."

_It would serve you well in a struggle that you do not wish to participate in._ Saphira told the young dragoness. _You could use it for a quick escape after which they could not pursue. _Cynder didn't say anything but she did nod as if to say 'I guess so'.

Singing brought the four back to attention and they all watched as Oromis' body was carried out of his hut on the shoulders of six elves. As they passed the elves on either side of the body joined the line behind him and gracefully the procession entered the forest.

All the while the elves hidden around the trees joined in with the singing and soon an epic choir was mourning the loss of the ancient rider. It wasn't often that an elf died so when one did the entire elven nation joined in the mourning. The song would spread through the forests, reaching elves even on the borders. The funeral would be held in Ellesmera but all the other cities would know of it and would participate, whether or not they could be there physically.

_We should stay with Glaedr until he awakens, he may not appreciate waking to solitude, especially without the presence of his rider in his mind._ Saphira suggested. Whether or not Eragon agreed, which he did, was besides the point as Saphira still moved to the unconscious golden dragon and lay next to him. Cynder and Spyro joined her and they all sat there with him, listening to the elves song and waiting for him to wake.

--

They had only to wait an hour before Glaedr aroused. He had immediately roared in anguish, alerting everyone around him to his awakening. When he had finished Saphira began to console him and they all spent some time talking with him, before he wished to be alone and told them that he would see them at the final farewell. They loathed to leave him in such a state but they complied with his wish.

Sparx had been quite upset about waking up and finding that everyone had left him there alone but no one was in the mood to put up with him so Cynder trapped him in a jar which Eragon proceeded to make sound proof with magic. It rattled every now and then but none of his witty remarks reached their ears.

When the sun had set they all made their way to the Menoa tree and now they were waiting amongst a large crowd. Eragon was stood by Saphira, who was sat by Glaedr, whilst Islanzadi stood by Oromis' funeral pyre. Spyro and Cynder were on lying down in front of Saphira, obscured from most of the elves but some still saw them and made a note to gossip about it at a more appropriate time.

They remained in silence for a few minutes longer until Islanzadi made a motion forwards. All eyes then fell upon her as she stepped onto the small pedestal that had been placed in front of the pyre. "My brothers and sisters, we have congregated here today for an unwelcome sorrow. We are here to say our final farewell to Oromis, last scion of House Thrándurin."

Islanzadi paused for a brief moment as the rest of the elves listened, even Blagdin, who usually spoke during the most inappropriate times was silent upon a branch of the menoa tree, Maud the werecat, sat besides him.

"We all know of his great accomplishments as a rider, how he fought valiantly to preserve their order and how he was crippled by the black king's Forsworn. Even then, however, he did not give in to the embrace of death, like so many of his fellow riders did. No, he stole himself away. Hid himself from the world where he could wait for the next rider to appear, to train him so that the new rider could fight because he himself could not. If it wasn't for Oromis' sacrifice of solitude we would not have had the rider Eragon as he is now, and no hope of over throwing Galbatorix."

She paused yet again. Eragon could hear several elves weeping within the crowd and he felt like joining them but he held himself in check for the time being.

"It fills me with great sorrow to know that we have lost him to the void, but my sorrow pales in comparison to Oromis' dragon, Glaedr's sorrow, who has survived his riders passing." With that Islanzadi stepped off the pedestal and took her place next to Eragon, whilst Glaedr hobbled forwards and stood besides Oromis, staring at him intently.

Everyone waited patiently for the ancient dragon, sympathizing with him and allowing him time to collect his thoughts. _I loved Oromis more than anything else. He was with me from the very beginning of my life and I expected him to be there at the end of mine. He consoled me when my mate was murdered by the forsworn and even stayed with me when I refused to leave her body, which was ultimately the cause for his capture and disability._

Eragon and Saphira were surprised at this. Oromis had never told them exactly how he had been crippled or how he had been captured in the first place.

_Living without him will be the most difficult task I have ever attempted and I do believe that it will be the most difficult that I will ever do. He wished me to continue though, to live to teach future dragons and I will fulfil his wish. _Glaedr brought his head down and placed it gently to Oromis' body. Saphira was kneading the floor beneath her with her claws and very quiet and mournful hums were emanating from her. Eragon noticed this and placed his hand on her side.

_Perhaps our most greatest achievement was the training of the rider Eragon and his bonded dragon Saphira. They excelled in everything we taught them and became fully fledged members of the order in an extremely short period of time. Oromis was incredibly proud of them as am I and we are glad that we had the chance to pass on our knowledge to them. _Glaedr then lay down by the pyre and looked at Eragon and Saphira.

Taking there cue Saphira climbed to her feet and both she and Eragon walked forwards to the pedestal. They both thought exactly the same things about Oromis, they weren't going to take it in turns to talk about something that the other had already said. Once they had reached their place they merged their minds and began to speak. _"We were deeply saddened by Oromis' death."_ Eragon's body said with the harsh, rasp of a dragon's voice. _"We had known he was dying for some time but we never thought it would come to pass so quickly. We are honoured to have known him and we are glad to use what he taught us to help the people of this land."_

Everyone in the crowd was silent, slightly startled at how Eragon was talking but at the same time jealous that his body could be used as a conduit for Saphira's voice. Spyro and Cynder were amazed at how they could do that, they only now realized just how deep the bond between them ran.

"_Oromis was like a father to us." _Eragon continued expressing his own personal feelings, Saphira still connected to his mind. _"He taught us so much about how the land works and about its history. We will miss him dearly and yet we are happy that he has finally found the rest he has earned." _They could see elves in the crowd nodding in agreement but they still made no sound.

"_We sympathize with Glaedr whole-heartedly," _The voice continued, this time expressing Saphira's personal feelings, _"If we lost our rider we would be distraught. We offer our deepest condolences to him and hope that he is able to live on to see the dragons reborn in the future, to train the young and teach them the way of the dragons."_

Now with the speeches finished Glaedr stood up again and took a position on the right hand side of the pyre. Saphira took a place on the left. They both stood there and seemed to be waiting for something. Spyro and Cynder did not know what was going on until Eragon looked at them and Glaedr spoke to them. _I would be honoured if you two would help Saphira and I in the lighting of the Pyre, Spyro with his flames and Cynder sustaining the flames with her wind element._ They were both shocked at this but they moved forwards nonetheless, taking a position side by side at the front of the pyre.

Then Islanzadi began to sing, closely followed by the crowd of elves and then finally by Eragon. Glaedr opened his maw and let loose a jet of golden flames which instantly wrapped around the logs. Saphira then added her blue flames and the gold and blue danced together as if they were meant to be. Finally Spyro let loose his orange flames and they instantly joined the others, mingling in and out in a show of fabulous colours.

Cynder opened her maw and sent out a powerful gust of wind which intensified the flames into a raging inferno as fresh fuel was supplied for the flames to burn. When the dragons finally stopped their exertions the flames were burning brightly and stronger than any pyre before. Orange, blue and gold lit up area and the elves continued to sing.

Now celebration was held after the final farewell, it was tradition for everyone to return to their homes and to retire to bed, the farewell was to be last thing every elf did on that day as a mark of respect to the fallen. As such Eragon was going to follow the tradition and so took his time to take in the scene before him.

Saphira joined him on his left side and Spyro and Cynder joined him on his right. The four stood there and watched their mentor become consumed by the flames in a spectacular fashion. Eragon couldn't help thinking that Oromis would have wanted it to be simple; he smiled at the thought.

**Well tell me what you think, Review please. I won't ramble on as it will detract from the feel of this chapter but I will be updating this story every Saturday from now on, I start college again on wednesday so I will have less chance to write.**


	13. It was only a joke!

**After the last chapter's depressing content (if it did depress you) I thought I might include a chapter that was a little more humourous. I hope you like it, enjoy.**

Once again the window to the study had been left open the night before. After they had returned from the funeral Eragon and Saphira seemed to be emotionally drained and retired to bed almost immediately. Because of that, Eragon had not thought to close the window for the two dragons and neither Spyro or Cynder had the dexterity to pull the flap in the wall and fit it to the other side, but they had tried. As a result there were tears in the membrane from both their claws; they promptly decided to give up after that.

Due to the open window the sunlight streamed in and shone straight onto Cynder's eyes, making her stir in an effort to escape it. She didn't move much however, all she had to do was turn her head and her eyes were in the shade again. Before she fell back into a deep sleep, however, she brushed her snout against something on her neck. She felt warm and content, in fact she felt the most secure than she had ever felt before.

Still half asleep she continued to brush her snout against it until it brushed back. She thought it odd at first but it did feel nice to her so she continued, that is until she became more aware of what she was doing. _What is that?_ She thought to herself as she became aware that what she thought was just resting on her neck was actually resting down the length of her body.

She opened her eyes and immediately was assaulted by the vivid colour of purple. _What is that?_ She asked herself again. She noticed that she was laying on her back with her wings wrapped around whatever was on her, holding it close to her body. The purple object shifted and made a noise and Cynder suddenly went wide eyed as she realised what, or who, it was.

"Spyro, get off me." She quietly said to him. She was blushing profusely, blood running to the scales on her face causing them to take on a pink hue. Spyro shifted again and twitched his tail which brought to Cynder's attention that her tail was wrapped around his. "S-Spyro, wake up." She said again, slightly louder, she didn't want Eragon or Saphira to come into the study and see how they were lying.

"Hmm…five more…minutes…Ignitus…" Came his reply as he tried to snuggle against her in his sleep. He had no idea what he was lying on, only the fact that it was soft and warm, two things that were very hard for a tired person to resist.

This only made Cynder feel even more uncomfortable as her blush intensified. _He's the laziest dragon I've ever met, granted I've only met a few, but Spyro is probably worst for it, he's going to pay for this._ She tried once again to rouse him, this time by poking his snout with hers. It was then that Cynder heard something that made her heart skip a beat; footsteps on the staircase. She couldn't see the staircase from where she was lay, Spyro blocked her view so she did the only thing she could do; she bit him hard on the nose.

He immediately opened his eyes and yelped, trying to pull away from her but finding himself pulled back by her wings. She let go of his nose and whispered. "Spyro get off me."

"Why did you bite me?" He asked, the volume of his voice making her cringe, he hadn't realised that he was lying on her. Something tugged on his tail and he tried to turn to check but found his movements restricted, he then noticed her wings wrapped around him. "What the-"

"Good…mor…ning." A voice suddenly called out, making both Spyro and Cynder look towards the staircase. Eragon was stood there, staring at the two dragons, the strange sight of them lying on top of each other, Cynder holding Spyro close to her with her wings and with their tails intertwined, thoroughly shocking him. "Err…sorry." He said as he put two and two together with the shout that he had heard from Spyro and came to a conclusion.

Realising the conclusion he had come to, Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and then back to Eragon. "It's not what it looks like!" They both blurted out at the same time. Eragon said nothing, he just took a few steps backwards until he disappeared down the stairs again.

"That was so embarrassing, why didn't you get off me when I told you to?" Cynder hissed at him

"Why did you bite me, you could have woken me nicer than that and then I would have listened to you a bit more." He replied, causing her to look at him.

"I did try to wake you up nicer, I tried to wake you a few times but you refused to wake, one time you just mumbled and snuggled against me, AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN OFF OF ME!"

"BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T MOVED YOUR WINGS YET!" He shouted back at her, refusing to take any blame whatsoever, he was adamant that it wasn't his fault. She growled at him when she realised he was right and unwrapped her wings from around him. Once those were removed they untangled their tails and Spyro slipped off her, allowing her to get to her feet. "We should g and make sure that Eragon didn't get the wrong idea." Spyro muttered as he and Cynder made their way to the staircase; Sparx quietly laughing to himself in his bookcase.

--

"Guard your legs!" Murtagh shouted as he swung Zar'roc in an arc, clashing it against the long sword. It ricocheted back, exposing the wielder. Murtagh sighed but took advantage, jabbing his sword at his opponents knees but stopping short before making contact. "From there you would be crippled, and then either taken prisoner or killed."

He moved back to his original spot and dropped into another fighting stance. "Try again, Katrina, you're making progress but you still wouldn't be able to last long against a few well experienced elves fighting at once, or Eragon fighting alone."

Katrina nodded and assumed her own stance. She had bruises on her legs and arms where Murtagh's guarded sword had made contact. They burned and ached slightly as she kept her stance but she didn't show it on her face.

The two riders remained motionless, waiting for the other to move. Katrina had made the mistake to move first often enough to know that she should wait as long as it takes for Murtagh to reveal his intentions. So that was what she did. A minute passed, then two and then finally five before Katrina saw Murtagh's weight shift to the front of his body. Then, before she knew it, he was surging forwards, quicker than any man she had seen move before, his sword pulled back to strike.

A clash of metal filled the courtyard as their swords met. Katrina gasped slightly at the force of the blow, if she hadn't gotten her sword up just in time to parry it would have broken a few of her ribs…again. Murtagh continued to push, his sword moving hers closer to her body before she found a well of strength within herself and pushed him back.

They both strained with the effort until Zar'roc slipped off Katrina's sword and dropped. She saw her chance and brought her sword to his throat. But he blocked it with a flick of his wrist. He then had to block an attack to his waist as Katrina continued her assault. He had lost his momentum and now was the best chance she had to make him concede.

She swung her sword in furious arcs and motions, something which amazed her as she had never even wielded any weapon before Galbatorix forced her into servitude. After a few of these frenzied assaults Murtagh was forced to take a step back, which surprised him, the evidence clear on his face. This surprise turned to shock when he took another step, and then another.

Not many watched the sparring matches of the soldiers, not many were brave enough to venture that close to the castle, but Murtagh and Katrina always conjured a crowd of various sizes. Today there were four people watching, three boys, two of which were of conscription age, and a young girl in her teens, who always came to watch them fight, even when Galbatorix forced them to spar in the rain.

Finally Murtagh found his bearings and stopped Katrina's advance. He parried the blow to his shin with a blow of his own, jarring both their arms. Murtagh recovered first however and swung his sword at Katrina's head, readying himself to stop before it made contact. Katrina, however, amazed him by leaning back, the sword passing harmlessly over her head.

The stunned Murtagh simply gawped at her reaction and almost lost the duel when she brought her own sword down on his head, which he dodged by side stepping, but only just. "Why…won't…you…lose?" Katrina asked between swings. Murtagh only laughed as he, almost effortlessly, side stepped each one.

The duel continued for almost fifteen more minutes before Murtagh finally decided to end it. He let her come at him with a blow, which he locked with his own. They struggled against each other, trying to push the other back. "I think," Murtagh whispered to her face only inches from his own, "That it's time to call it a day." With that, he pushed his sword harder, twisted it to the left, and struck the hilt against hers, causing her grip to slip and her sword to drop to the floor with a clang. Before she knew it, the tip of his blade was pointed to her throat, Murtagh grinning at her with a satisfied look in his eyes.

The four spectators cheered for a moment, before they noticed a group of soldiers running towards them. They then ran down the path back to the city proper, but the soldiers were quicker and gaining on them. If the boys were captured they would undoubtedly join the ranks of the soldiers, despite their father's wishes, and if the girl was captured, well, she wouldn't be the same when the soldiers finally allowed her to leave their chambers.

"We tell them not to watch because of this, it's too dangerous this close to the castle." Murtagh muttered as he wiped the sweat off his brow.

"Well we can't just stand here and do nothing. We may be forced to serve Galbatorix's every whim but we have a little leeway to do things that he wouldn't notice nor care about." Katrina muttered back. She watched the four children run past a pile of barrels and a smile crept on to her face. "Jierda!" She exclaimed as she thrust her palm out. The gedwëy ignasia glowed briefly and the barrels in the distance toppled over, just as the soldiers were running past them.

"At least now those four can get away, I didn't fancy watching them die at the hands of the Varden's army." Murtagh said as he sheathed Zar'roc and began to make his way back into the castle. Katrina followed a few seconds later after watching the soldiers climb out from under the barrels.

"When do you think Thorn and Fyrenze will be back?" Katrina asked when she caught up. Murtagh only shrugged. Neither of them knew, sometimes they would only be gone for an hour, other times they would be gone for a day. Their minds were always shut off from their riders whenever they went out, due to the pain that Shruikan caused, which often had the potential to transfer to their riders, so Murtagh and Katrina couldn't tell when they would be back.

Just before they entered the castle doors, however, the steady beats of two pairs of wings caught their attention and they turned to see both dragons land, both sporting fresh wounds from their 'training' with Shruikan. Both riders rushed to greet their dragons, who lowered their heads so they could brush their snouts against the much smaller humans.

Fyrenze had grown exponentially since he hatched two months previously; he had reached half the size of Thorn, who was already bigger than his age should have allowed. This was no doubt due to the dark magic that Galbatorix wielded; neither Thorn or Fyrenze had any instinctual knowledge of dragons growing to their size before they were older.

Aside from his size and colour, the other difference between the two dragons was that Fyrenze's spines and claws seemed to be more ferocious. They were longer than Thorn's and there were much more spines along his back and tail, several long and curved ones at the tip. Shruikan had actually came back after one training session with scratches and wounds up his right hind leg, a result from Fyrenze losing his temper and attacking the much larger dragon relentlessly. He didn't go unpunished, however, as he also came back sporting a nasty gash in his foreleg, one which required both Murtagh and Katrina to heal.

_How did you go today, dear one, did you beat him?_ Fyrenze asked as he accepted her embrace.

_No, I almost did, but he still managed to best me. I'm getting better though and I won't stop until I do. _She replied as she looked to the left to see Murtagh giving Thorn his own embrace.

_Don't push yourself too hard, Murtagh is strong and has been using a sword much longer than you, even if you do attain the skill to beat him he still has something you don't, experience._ Katrina rolled her eyes at his wisdom.

_You're younger than me, you aren't supposed to be giving me words of wisdom. _She laughed lightly.

_I'm sorry, dear one, but I cannot help my nature._ He said, genuinely sounding apologetic.

_Don't be sorry, Fyrenze, I was only joking with you, give me as many words of wisdom as you feel like, I don't really mind. _He hummed as she rubbed her marked palm on the tip of his snout. _I wish we didn't have to stay here, I miss Roran, I wonder how he's doing._

_You can always scry him tonight again if you wish, I know that his location isn't shown to you but you can at least gaze upon him._

_After all those cursed things that wretched king has taught me do you think Roran would still want me? _Fyrenze growled slightly at her question.

_He would be a fool not to want you. You may have been taught some terrible secrets but you have also learned to be a great warrior, if we are able to break free from Galbatorix's clutches I will take you to your Roran myself and make him see how lucky he is to be engaged to you._ A single tear came to Katrina's eye as her dragon consoled her. But as soon as she allowed the emotions to rise within her she forced them back down again. Galbatorix would only use them to torture her when she did something wrong or when he was exceptionally angry, with, who she thought, himself sometimes.

"Well, come on, Murtagh, it's still morning, Galbatorix told us if we finished early we had to report to him for more lessons in magic." Murtagh reluctantly finished his brief conversation with Thorn, wishing he could spend more time with him, and then turned to leave, Katrina following. They once again ascended the castle stairs to the entrance and turned back before entering. They both looked at their dragons, wishing that they didn't have to be under Galbatorix's rule, that they could spend as much time with them as Eragon did with Saphira. They were envious.

--

"That's not what we were doing!" Cynder exclaimed, a deep blush on her face as she stood next to Spyro, a blush of equal intensity on his face. Apparently Eragon had told Saphira what he had seen when he had entered the study and then promptly left the tree house, leaving Saphira to deal with it.

_It's understandable that you would be doing it, you are the last of your particular species and you have grown quite comfortable with each other over these past weeks. _Saphira continued, ignoring the two young dragons assurances that told her otherwise._ But now is not the time, if you are somehow dragged into this war you do not want to be carrying an egg around with you._

"That hadn't even crossed our mind when we had woken like that, we haven't even thought about us like that at all." Spyro insisted, eliciting a humorous growl from Saphira.

_So you're saying that you both haven't thought about it once…at all? You did hesitate slightly at the end there._ She said, sounding highly amused. Spyro and Cynder glanced once at each other before looking away again, the scales on their snouts bright red. _See, you can't deny it._

"Listen, Saphira, when I tell you that this morning, when Spyro and I woke up, we were in those positions, doing nothing, just one minute we were sleeping and the next we were awake." Cynder said to her, breaking it down slowly so that there were no misunderstandings.

_So you two have just been waking up closer and closer together, through no desires of your own, unconscious or otherwise?_ She questioned, a little sceptical.

"Well I don't see any other way, I don't want an egg with Cynder." Spyro confirmed.

"Nor do I wish for one with Spyro, there's something in that room that's doing that to us." Cynder said.

_Then we will have to check out your room, but I never noticed something in there that did anything to me when I fell asleep there whilst Eragon studied._ With that Saphira stepped out of her dais, stretched, and flew out of the window. Spyro and Cynder meanwhile squeezed up the staircase, standing against the wall whilst Saphira landed.

_So you obviously have been sleeping here._ The sapphire dragoness said as she sniffed at the padding in the bowl. _Well I admit there is a curious smell around here, and it isn't coming from you two. _The two dragons sniffed at the air but couldn't smell anything different to what they could usually smell.

Saphira began to move around the room, surprising Spyro and Cynder at how she could be so careful with her movements; she hadn't knocked over any chairs or shelves. As she sniffed about the room she suddenly found an interest in the bookcase that Sparx was sleeping in. _There's something here._ She said as she moved up the bookcase. _Something…familiar, it makes me feel like-_ She said before sneezing.

"What is it?" They both asked her at once.

_Whatever I am smelling is what has been making you two act like the way you have been doing._ She said as she shook her head to get rid of the strange feelings she was having, they reminded her of the night she and Eragon spent in Du Weldenvarden, when the elves had sang to the forest to rejuvenate it. _I know what it is, but we should wait for Eragon to remove it, none of us should go near it._

"I don't exactly know what you are talking about but couldn't you wake Sparx and get him to move it?" Spyro asked. Saphira seemed to consider it and then agreed.

"So what is it that we shouldn't go near?" Cynder asked as she tried to prevent herself from smelling the air.

_The dragons used to travel to the Hadarac to mate, there was a reason for that. That desert is littered with a vegetation whose smell acts as an aphrodisiac to dragons. In small quantities it can make dragons more docile to one another and the longer a dragon smells it the more…well the more willing to mate it becomes._

"What do you want?" Sparx asked as he was mentally prodded again. "I'm trying to sleep here." Saphira refused to stop and soon Sparx was buzzing around the room. "You've got me up now, what do you want?"

_We want you to rummage around the shelves here until you find some plant life, it's causing a few problems for our young friends here._ Sparx seemed to be hesitant when Saphira finished.

"You mean this stuff?" He asked as he went straight behind a sheet of paper and pulled out a dried out, brown weed. Saphira snorted immediately and backed away.

_Don't bring it near us!_ She exclaimed as he moved closer an inch.

"What? It's not dangerous, I've been using it for a bit of fun since we got here, I found it in the desert, I thought it smelled nice so I kept some." Sparx said with a grin.

_What have you been doing with it?_ Saphira questioned as she kept her nose out of the open window to escape it's aroma. Cynder and Spyro, however, had no where to go and couldn't help but inhale the scent.

"Well, in the desert I noticed that these two seemed a lot more comfortable lying next to each other when they smelled it; that made for a more comfortable bed, they didn't move about as much." Sparx was oblivious to the effects that the plant was having on Spyro and Cynder. "I thought I might keep it with me to see what else it could do and I've been giving these two whiffs of it for a few seconds every night, well except last night, I gave them a few more seconds of it. It was funny."

_Sparx, that plant makes dragons want to mate, do you have any idea what could have happened if you let those two smell that for long enough, or what could have happened if I had gotten a strong enough smell. Throw it out of the window, now. _She growled at him, causing him to become slightly afraid. He reluctantly flew passed her, after she had pressed her nose against her side to prevent her catching its scent, and dropped it out of the window.

"There you go, happy? Now what am I going to do for fun?" He muttered. Saphira was about to answer before the dragonfly started laughing. "Never mind, I'll just watch those two make fools of themselves." Saphira cocked her head to the side and then turned to where Sparx was looking.

Both Spyro and Cynder were sat together against the wall, gently nuzzling each other, their eyes slightly glazed over. _That's not funny Sparx. _Saphira scolded, although she had to admit to herself, it was pretty humorous. _It's not right for you to make them do things like that , things that they wouldn't normally do when they're thinking straight._

Sparx wasn't listening, he was laughing more hysterically. "L-look at them…they're licking each other." Saphira turned and saw that they indeed were. There eyes were still glazed as Cynder tenderly licked the side of Spyro's head, which Spyro returned on her neck. "How long does this stuff last…I'm going to pass out if this keeps up."

_It should only last another thirty minutes, and it shouldn't get any worse than this, they didn't get a strong enough smell of the plant. _Saphira said, her own deep grating laugh filling the room. _But I don't envy you when they snap out of it, just because they are acting like this now doesn't mean that they want to, I think they'll have some things to say to you._

_--_

"It was only a joke, I didn't know what it did, honest." Sparx said as he was backed against the wall.

"You little pest, you're going to pay for what you've been doing." Cynder growled as she blew him into the wall with her wind breath.

"It's gone now, I don't have it anymore." Sparx pleaded. The two dragons were having none of it.

"You've gone too far Sparx." Spyro said as he joined Cynder's growl. A quick blast of ice shot from his maw but Sparx quickly buzzed to the left and tried to get past Cynder to the window. A loud snap brought his escape attempt to an end.

"Let me out, I said I was sorry, don't eat me." Came the muffled shouts from inside Cynder's maw. She opened her lips and exposed her teeth to reveal Sparx to Spyro. He smirked at her as he watched Sparx struggle. "Come on Spyro, we grew up together, I'm getting wet in here." Sparx pleaded.

_Let him out and I'll freeze his mouth shut, that way he won't be able to bug us._ Spyro told Cynder mentally. She nodded and spat the dragonfly out onto the floor. But he was a resourceful creature and he tried to jet off to the right of Spyro, having confidence that his 'brother' would allow him to escape.

Another snap of jaws and some more muffled shouts, this time coming from Spyro's maw, proved otherwise. Sparx was in for a long day.

**Read and Review. Time for a few recommendations I think. These are a few good stories which I think are pretty good, if you read them be nice, some of them have only just started.**

**Saphira's children - Platypus Caper**

**Restoration - Platypus Caper**

**New Hope for the Dragons and riders - DarkDragon567**

**Empire - Emerald Dragon Rider**

**The Legend of Spyro: Ripto's Wrath - Valentine McDaniel**


	14. Strawberries

**Sorry for the delay on this, had a little trouble concentrating so I couldn't get it finished in time. Anyway, Enjoy.**

Not wanting to stay and teach the two young dragons about the intricacies of mating, and whether they should be doing it or not, Eragon had decided to visit Glaedr. The ancient dragon had spent all of his time since the farewell outside Oromis' hut, choosing not to go to whatever cave or grove he had slept in whilst his rider was still alive.

It hadn't taken Eragon long to reach the Crags, he had left Ellesmera almost as soon as he had left the tree house, and had begun to make his way through the trees and over streams until he had reached his destination.

When he Glaedr came into view he had his back to Eragon, curled up in a large ball of scales and spines. Eragon played with the vague notion that the dragon had turned his back against the world. He then dismissed it, and approached the mourning dragon. "Ebrithil Glaedr, are you alright?" He asked vocally to alert the dragon to his presence.

_Yes Eragon, I am fine, and please, you no longer need to call me 'ebrithil,' I am no longer your master. _The dragon replied, unwrapping himself from his self protecting cocoon and turning to face Eragon.

"Of course you are, ebrithil, you always will be," Eragon insisted, "Saphira and I still have much to learn from you and until we know everything you do then we will be your students."

_That makes me happier, I guess._ Glaedr sounded very unsure of himself, which was unlike the powerful dragon.

"Are you sure you are alright, we can talk if you like?" Eragon said, unsure if he was being presumptuous in his attempts to console the dragon.

_I feel lost, Eragon._ He said, which slightly startled the rider, he hadn't expected Glaedr to answer. _My mind feels smaller, as if walls have been placed around it to prevent it from moving. Every time I flex my mind towards Oromis I feel nothing, as if he was never there, yet I also feel the absence, a great void that leads to nothing._

Eragon nodded, he understood what it must feel like. Ever since he was connected to Saphira he always dreaded being separated. He couldn't remember what it was like to be alone in his mind anymore; no comforting presence; no second conscience; no one to talk to when bored. _It scares me to think of life without him, I have never had my mind separated from his before; it is unnerving to think that he and you both lived with only one mind once. _

"It isn't that bad, you can still contact others and I know that isn't the same as your connection with your rider but you mustn't dwell on it, or it will destroy you." Eragon said, choosing his words carefully.

_I know Eragon, I will not focus solely on the fact that he is gone, but I am now envious of Saphira. _He said, which surprised Eragon further, he hadn't thought that Glaedr would have those feelings towards Saphira. _But don't pay that any mind, Eragon. Now, was there another reason behind your visit today, or was it just to check up on me?_

Eragon noticed the obvious change of subject but went along with it, not wanting Glaedr to talk about things before he was ready. "Well actually there was. I was just wondering what to do next." He said. Glaedr remained silent, waiting for him to continue. "Our training is complete, and that means I am supposed to go back to the Varden to help in the war."

_And you are unsure if that is the right choice, what with your commitment to Spyro and Cynder?_

"Exactly, if Saphira and I return to the Varden we would either have to bring Spyro and Cynder with us, where they will be under more pressure to join the war. And if we don't they would be left alone, either choice puts them in danger."

_Well they could always stay with me, but I do think it would be more beneficial for them to stay with you two._

"That's what I was thinking. Spyro claims to have been having visions in his sleep. They tell him to search for someone he knew from his time. I think Saphira and I should help him…but would it be right to? My duty is to the kingdom is it not?"

_Personally I believe your duty is to yourself. _Eragon hadn't expected that answer. _I know that you and Saphira are very important to the Varden's goals. You are no doubt a key factor in Galbatorix's downfall. But you can't let your desires be trodden on in the process. Spyro and Cynder are just as important as Galbatorix's defeat, they are just as important as Saphira and the green egg are. _

Eragon nodded, mulling over his options. _Plus, the Varden do not know that your training has been complete, I don't think it would cause much trouble if you took a small break from it all to help Spyro on his own mission. _Eragon looked at Glaedr suspiciously.

"Are you really suggesting that, it seems so unlike you?" He asked. Glaedr only chuckled, the deep grating sound vibrating through Eragon's bones.

_It seems without Oromis' influence my personality is in a state of flux, but I still believe in what I just said, Eragon, you should forsake your duty, if only for a short while._ Eragon nodded; well he had basically just been given permission to spend time alone with Saphira, without the threat of the Empire, which is what he wanted the most.

"Well alright then, if you think I should then I shall."

_Good, it will do you a world of good to escape your duties for a while. Now, if that was all you came here for then can you please leave me to my thoughts._ The golden dragon finished, curling back into a defensive ball and effectively ending the conversation,

Knowing it was futile to continue, Eragon turned and left, making his way back to Ellesmera and back to his tree house, hoping that Saphira had sorted both Spyro and Cynder out.

--

_Was that really necessary?_ Saphira asked as she returned to the study.

"Yes." Cynder simply replied as she placed Sparx on the book shelf. His wings and arms had been frozen to his body in a cocoon and his mouth had been firmly sealed. He struggled on the shelf but all he could do was roll, which he was reluctant to do as he could quiet easily roll off the edge.

_I thought he was your 'brother'? _Saphira continued, this time to Spyro.

"He is, but I think he deserves this." He said, standing beside Cynder to watch the dragonfly struggle. "He went too far."

_Did he really? You didn't actually do anything, and even if you did the chances of you conceiving an egg are not a hundred percent._

"That's not the point." They both said at the same time. "When we want an egg we'll have an egg-" They then stopped themselves as they realised what they were saying. Saphira's eyes lit up with amusement but before she could say anything she heard a series of knocking coming from the floor below.

With a snort of frustration of having her fun halted, for the time being, she turned and climbed back out of the window. Using her claws to grip onto the wood, she climbed down the side of the tree to the window below and slunk in, moving towards her dais. When she was comfortable seated she projected her mind through the door to the visitor._ Come in._

The trapdoor pushed itself open as Saphira snaked her head around the corner to see who it was. Slowly but gracefully, an elf ascended through the opening and then stood upright, smoothing out her dress and repositioning the cloak of swan feathers that she wore. _Queen Islanzadi, it is good to see you but Eragon is not here at the moment._ Saphira said as the queen looked upon the massive scaled head.

"That is alright Saphira; I didn't come just to speak with him, but to those two dragons too." She said as she looked around the room, as if hoping to catch sight of them.

_They are in the room above us, feel free to join me._ Saphira told her. She then made her way back outside the window. Islanzadi winced at the sound of Saphira's claws tearing into the bark but she shrugged it off and made her way to the stairs.

_The queen of the elves is on her way up._ Saphira said as she re-entered the study, making both Spyro and Cynder stop their game of rolling Sparx from one side of the book shelf to the other. _You don't have to do anything however elves revere dragons above everything else so we are not expected to follow the usual etiquette of the other species that inhabit this land._

Islanzadi then emerged from the staircase, causing both Spyro and Cynder to look at her. Islanzadi placed her first two fingers to her lips and then performed a strange gesture with her hand before finally speaking. "Dragon Spyro, Dragon Cynder, it's good to finally meet you properly."

Spyro and Cynder looked at each other and then smiled at the queen gingerly. "Sorry about those elves in the forest." Spyro said.

"Yeah, we didn't mean to cause any trouble, they just startled us." Cynder added.

"You can talk?" Islanzadi exclaimed, slightly startled. "My, my, aren't you full of surprises."

_Oh they are full of much more._ Saphira muttered to herself.

--

Eragon was still thinking about leaving when he reached the tree house. He had been debating with himself the severity of leaving, if only for two weeks. He wanted to help Spyro and Cynder, but he also wanted to help the Varden, and his fealty to Nasuada didn't help the situation.

He decided to ask Saphira's opinion on the matter as he opened the trapdoor and entered the house. He walked into the bedroom to see that Saphira wasn't there, but he did hear voices coming from the study so he made his way up the stairs.

When he reached the top he noticed the queen and she noticed him. The dragons watched as the appropriate greetings were performed and then Eragon spoke. "What's going on?" He asked.

_Islanzadi came to see Spyro and Cynder. I've filled her in about the details of their discovery, she also knows about their abilities._ Saphira explained.

"Yes, Eragon, their abilities would be a great help, but I will go along with your wishes and not encourage them to join our war, I'm sure we can cope without them. Which reminds me, our forces are about to attack Ceunon."

"I will inform Nasuada when I return, but you would do well to send a messenger too, just in case I am intercepted." Eragon said which caused the three dragons to look at him.

"Ah so you are returning to the Varden. That is good, it is a shame you can't stay much longer." She paused for a moment before continuing. "We will hold a small celebration in your honour, as well as these two." She said, indicating Spyro and Cynder. Saphira snorted. "And of course you too, Saphira."

"Then we will be there, but tomorrow we shall leave." Eragon finished. Islanzadi nodded and began to leave.

"Then I will make the preparations, I will send someone to get you when we are ready." She then descended the staircase.

Eragon and the dragons listened as they heard her footsteps, the creak of the door, and then the slam as it was pulled shut. _So we are leaving tomorrow, what about Spyro and Cynder?_

"Yes we are leaving, but I never said we were going straight to the Varden." He said, puzzling Saphira. "We're taking a little break, to this Chronicler person that Spyro described." He explained.

_So we're not going to the Varden…I don't have a problem with that, I still want to master Ice breath. Some time off will let me master that, pus I think we deserve a break. _She said as she stretched.

"I knew you would agree with me." Eragon said with a laugh. "And I'm sure Spyro and Cynder will agree with me." He said as he looked at the two. They were both nodding, and Eragon smiled at them, until he noticed Sparx. "Why is Sparx…" He said before trailing off.

_You remember what Oromis told us about that weed in the Hadarac?_ Saphira asked him. Eragon nodded. _Well Sparx brought some of that with him and he's been giving Spyro and Cynder small amounts of it each night._

"So they weren't doing anything this morning?" Eragon asked, giving a quick glance to the two dragons, who were looking at everything but each other.

_No they weren't, Sparx hadn't given them enough to make them go that far, just enough to make them…friendlier to each other. As such Sparx is being punished. _She finished. Spyro and Cynder then went back to rolling their captive back and forth, taking joy in the creature's wide eyed screams of protest.

Eragon watched for a moment, taking in the odd sight, before shaking it off and making his way back down the stairs. The gust of wind that followed him told him that Saphira had left as well and sure enough, by the time he had reached the bedroom, Saphira was taking her place in her dais. _So how was Glaedr? _She asked, knowing where he had been through their link.

_He isn't acting the same._ Eragon answered. _I think being separated from Oromis is affecting his personality; he was actually the one that told me I should go on this journey with Spyro and Cynder._

_I didn't think that our riders affected us that much. _Saphira mused._ I knew that you suppress our more basic instincts, which is why we are able to speak so early; we are effectively forced to mature by your influence. But I hadn't thought our personalities were affected much…I wonder what I would act like without you._

_Hmm well I wonder if you would want to have everything your own way…no wait that's you now._ He joked.

_It's not that I want everything my own way; it's just that my way is usually the right way._ She said, going along with his joke. _Maybe I should go and visit him._

_I don't think you should. _Saphira gave him a puzzled look. _He's envious of you, Saphira, you still have a rider. He may resent your presence there if you go. _

_Well then if you think I shouldn't go then I guess I shouldn't. _She said, which completely stunned Eragon.

_Excuse me! You're actually taking advice from me without having me drum it into you repeatedly. Are you ill?_ He asked.

_No, Eragon, I am not ill. I've just come to realise that when it comes to Glaedr I should listen to you, just as you listen to me when it comes to Arya. My relationship with him is already strained, I may not get him as a mate but I don't want to lose him as a friend. I'll go and see him when he's more stable._

_It's nice to know that you actually listen to me sometimes. _He said from the end of his bed.

_I always listen to you, little one, whether what I listen to is useful is another matter entirely._ She replied, a pillow thumping her on the side of the head soon after.

--

"What sort of celebration is this again?" Cynder asked as she followed the elf in front of her. Both she and Spyro were plodding along on either side of Eragon, with Saphira bringing up the rear.

"Elves hold few celebrations, this one won't be big, and it's in honour of you two." Eragon replied as he straightened the red tunic he was wearing. "You won't need to do anything though; the elves won't expect you to."

_You should just enjoy it, I do. _Saphira added. Spyro and Cynder gave each other a look of uncertainty but they continued to follow the elf, who was leading them between two long beds of flowers, which Saphira was being careful to not sweep her tail over.

Soon, however, the beds ended and they began to walk between trees. It wasn't until five minutes later that Cynder noticed that the gaps between the trees had grown so close together that they were no longer there. She looked around and she finally understood that they had entered a building, carefully made from the trees around it.

Spyro had also noticed this but he was more focused on the floor and ceiling. The canopy of the trees had melded together to form an unbroken covering, allowing nothing of the sky to be seen and also providing an effective insulation from the weather. The floor underfoot had also been constructed from nature. In some places thick grass provided soft padding, whereas in others, trees that had grown along the floor had been polished flat from the footfalls that constantly moved across it.

It was upon this wooden surface that the three dragons claws could be heard clicking on as they moved through the corridor. Eragon of course knew they were in Tialdari hall and was expecting to be taken into one of the great feasting chambers, which after another minute of walking, they were.

Two large tables had been set up, each seating thirty elves. Upon these tables were assortments of the elves most delectable dishes. Of course there was no meat in sight, but to Eragon that was fine, he was quiet looking forward to a generous helping of quince pie.

Upon their arrival the elves began to chatter and Islanzadi waved them over. The group moved over and Eragon noticed a vacant seat on her right side and next to that seat a large space big enough for all three of the dragons, except the biggest plate was furthest away from Eragon.

"We're glad that you could make it, we were hoping that you didn't decide to spend your night by yourselves in preparation for your journey." Islanzadi said as she took her seat again, closely followed by the rest of the elves.

Once Spyro, Cynder and Saphira had taken their places by Eragon's side, however, they stood up again and made their way over to them. _What's going on?_ Cynder asked Eragon as the elves accumulated around her.

_Don't worry; this is just the bit that Saphira enjoys._ Eragon answered, which didn't seem to calm down the small dragoness. Spyro was also beginning to fidget as the elves grew closer but once one of them managed to get in front of him and bowed he calmed down a little. The same elf then moved to Cynder and bowed to her and finally to Saphira.

Eragon sat there with an amused look on his face as each of the elves in the room paid their respects to the dragons in different ways, to compliments on their features to bowing and kissing the floor at their feet. Spyro and Cynder were totally unprepared for it all and could do nothing but mutter thanks and smile whilst slowly growing more and more embarrassed. Saphira on the other hand relished in it, almost to the point of being pompous.

After fifteen long or short minutes, depending on whose perspective was wanted, the elves finished their praising and returned to their seats. They then began to eat. Spyro looked upon the banquet with a practiced eye and picked out some mushrooms from one of the plates, which Eragon helped him with. Cynder on the other hand was still looking for meat upon the table.

_There is none. _Saphira said to her, knowing what she was searching for.

Cynder looked up at the towering dragoness, who seemed to be eating some sort of vegetable."Why?" She asked.

_The elves don't believe in killing animals for sustenance, foolish in my opinion but they are strict about it. Dragons can't live on plants alone but we can eat them, in fact some of them are taste rather good, try the strawberries._ She said and then returned to her meal.

Cynder looked at the table with a dismayed look, 'Which ones are the strawberries?' she thought to herself. She looked at Spyro who was continuing to eat the mushrooms and then at Eragon who was talking with the queen whilst eating some sort of broth. "Spyro, what is that that you're eating." She whispered to the purple dragon.

Spyro stopped and looked back at her. "Mushrooms, haven't you ever had any?" He whispered back.

Cynder shook her head. "I've only ever eaten meat, the apes fed me whatever they couldn't chew, I had sharper teeth. And when I was big enough to hunt on my own I only ever ate meat anyway."

"Oh well I didn't eat much meat when I was with Sparx with the dragonflies. I had to eat whatever was around, their usual diets didn't work very well for me, I still ate meat but I mostly ate plants and mushrooms. You should try some, their not bad." He said as he nosed some from his pile onto Cynder's empty plate, he then went back to eating.

Cynder looked at the grey mushrooms with a blank expression before gingerly snapping one up. She rolled it around on her tongue and began to chew and found that they were edible, if not pleasant. Not wanting to cause a fuss she continued to eat the mushrooms until none remained on her plate.

"See, they weren't that bad." Spyro said to her with a smile. Cynder noticed another food on Spyro's plate and indicated towards it. "Oh this this is quince pie, Eragon recommended it, want some?" He asked as he began to divide it into two.

"No that's ok, I wanted to try some strawberries but I don't know what they are." She said. Spyro looked just as confused as she did and couldn't help her. She looked over the table again at the piles of green, red, orange, yellows and then finally back at Saphira.

Not wanting to look stupid in front of Saphira Cynder caught the attention of an elf woman opposite her. "Excuse me, would you mind helping me with some of those strawberries?" She asked.

"Of course." The elf said happily. She leaned over to a large bowl of small, red and speckled objects and dished out a large pile on Cynder's plate.

"Thank you." Cynder said. The elf smiled and returned to her conversation. Cynder then returned her attention to the strawberries, pierced one with a claw and then placed it in her mouth. The peculiar combination of sweet and sour startled her at first but she discovered that they were much better than the mushrooms, incredibly better in fact.

She began to eat more of them, relishing the taste. "Spyro, try one of these." She said as she forced one into his mouth when he opened it to reply. He was startled for a moment but then began to eat it. Finding that he liked them Cynder fed him more and together they finished her plate.

They continued to feast upon the multitude of plants, fruits and vegetables until most of the plates were empty and they were taken away by the elves assigned to clean up duty. "We have a gift for you Eragon." Islanzadi said, which aroused Eragon's interest. An elderly looking elf then began to approach him, a long cloth wrapped object held in her hands.

Eragon stood up to receive the gift as the rest of the elves watched. He remained still as the woman dropped to one knee before him and Islanzadi moved to his left. "This was given to us a long time ago, I believe it would be better suited in your hands though, Eragon." She said as she unwrapped the cloth to reveal an elegant blade, crafted to never break and to match the colour of Saphira's scales, a beautiful sapphire. It was a rider's sword.

Eragon reached out and ran his finger across the blade, feeling the finish upon it and the cold chill of the metal before finally stroking the hilt. "This sword belonged to Brom." Islanzadi continued as Eragon picked it up and felt the weight of it. "After his Saphira was slain he could not wield the sword, for it reminded him of his reason behind wielding it." Eragon tested the balance of the weapon; it was almost exactly the equivalent of Zar'roc.

"He gave it to an elven family, to keep safe, which they have done until now. Its name is Mor'ranr." Islanzadi finished. 'Peace' Eragon thought, 'a fitting name.'

"Thank you, Islanzadi, this gift is truly appreciated." He said with a bow.

"Think nothing of it Eragon; I believe Brom would have wanted you to have it." She nodded her head towards him and Eragon did the same as he took the sheath that matched the sword. It too was blue, with elaborate decorations adorning its surface. He buckled it around his waste and then slid Mor'ranr home, the sparkling sapphire almost glowing before his palm.

"Now, it has grown late, let us retire to our beds. If we do not see you tomorrow Eragon, we wish you the safest journey." Islanzadi announced. The elves began to make their way out of the hall, the three dragons, however, waited for Eragon.

"We too wish you the best of luck in your endeavours against the empire." Eragon said. Islanzadi once again nodded and then the two exchanged formal goodbyes. With that Eragon returned to Saphira.

_At least now we match._ She said as they made their way out. _Blue is far better than red._ Eragon smiled as he walked, his hand resting upon Mor'ranr; he missed the weight of a sword on his hip.

****

**Review please. And for you Spyro lovers out there; I have a nice suprise for you next weekend, I hope you like it.**


	15. Jealousy

**Sorry about the very late update, but I have had problems with my internet connection and have only just resolved them. Anyway here it is, enjoy.**

"They wanted to leave early, didn't they?" Spyro asked as he and Cynder stood at the bottom of the stairs. Eragon was still asleep in his bed, Saphira snoring loudly from her dais, her wings slumped over the side and spreading across the floor.

"They were up pretty late last night, I could hear them both laughing, I don't know what at though." Cynder replied as Eragon gave a loud snort and rolled over on his bed. "But yes, they did want to leave early, I guess we should wake them up."

Spyro nodded and both he and Cynder leapt onto Eragon's bed. They moved over to him, and began to tap him, until they got bored of that and began to push him. It wasn't long before he hit the floor with a thump. "Was that really necessary?" He asked as he got up and rubbed his head.

"No, but it got you up quicker, we're certainly not waking Saphira, you know how she is in the morning." Spyro explained as he got comfortable on the bed besides Cynder. Eragon sighed, that meant he had to wake her, and with even less sleep the night before she definitely wouldn't be willing to get up.

He gingerly approached her, standing a distance from her talons so she couldn't grab him, then began prodding her mind. It took several prods before her consciousness began to emerge, and several more to gain a response. The response, however, wasn't one that Eragon was expecting.

Saphira's limp wings suddenly beat furiously, kicking up a gale that made Eragon lose his balance. He fell forwards before he could stop himself and before he knew it Saphira's one moment of exertion had landed him in her claws, where she proceeded to tighten her grip before drifting off back to sleep.

Spyro and Cynder laughed as Eragon struggled against Saphira's side but her grip was much to strong for him. "Well don't just sit there laughing like idiots, wake her up, I'm not lying here until she decides to wake up by herself, that could be hours." The two dragons continued to laugh, ignoring Eragon who groaned and continued to struggle.

"Fine, fine, we'll help." Cynder said as she pushed Spyro up. They then both began to prod Saphira's mind from a safer distance. She rumbled slightly and began to shift but eventually her consciousness emerged and she opened her eyes.

_If we never found you two I could have slept for at least six more hours. _She muttered as she rolled over, startling Eragon.

"Let me up first!" Eragon shouted before he was smothered by her.

_Oh, sorry._ She quickly replied as she stood up, allowing Eragon to crawl out from beneath her. _This is your fault anyway, you shouldn't have kept us up so late. _She continued as she stretched.

"My fault?! You were the one who wouldn't stop talking, all I did was reply to you every now and then." He called from the vestibule as he washed.

_Well I seem to recall a lot of talk from you concerning Arya._ She rebutted, becoming amused at the slight embarrassment that was transferred over to her. _I'm the closest female you've ever gotten to I think is what you said. _She continued.

_And you said I was the closest male you've gotten to, so I wouldn't use that in an argument, it works both ways. _Eragon said as he walked out of the vestibule, tightening the belt around his waist and then gathering his armour and bringing it into the bedroom.

_Well I suppose that is to be expected, we can't very well keep much from each other, apart from a few select things._ She said, referring to the well defended areas in both their minds which neither could penetrate, not that they truly tried, they respected one another's privacy.

"That's true." Eragon said, making Spyro and Cynder wonder just what they had been talking about, but they shrugged it off, deeming it unimportant. They all waited for Eragon, who had to put on his armour bit by bit. First his ring mail, then his gauntlets, shin guards, and then his scale mail.

"Where do we head first?" Spyro asked, as Eragon contemplated on bringing his helm. Deciding against wearing it he still thought it useful so placed it inside one of the huge saddle bags that would soon be fixed to Saphira.

"Well we'll head west first, staying in the forest as long as possible." Eragon replied as he carried the saddle to Saphira, who lowered herself so Eragon could fit it. "We'll give Ceunon a wide berth, we don't want to get involved in the battle that will take place there." He continued, throwing the straps of the saddle around Saphira's girth and then buckling them together. "After that we have a short flight over the North Sea into the Spine and from there we'll head to Doru Areaba." Eragon finished.

"Isn't there a huge ocean between the Spine and Vroengard, how are we supposed to cross it without taking a break?" Cynder asked as she leapt off the bed. Eragon pulled out a map and rolled it out on to the floor. He studied it for a moment before placing his finger on a spot.

"Here," He said, Spyro and Cynder looking over his shoulder, "This is the shortest route over the ocean." He moved his finger from a point just north of Narda across the ocean to the nearest 'arm' of the island of Vroengard. "Then we just have to head north to Doru Areaba."

_I think that is as good a place as any to begin searching for The Chronicler. _Saphira stated as she flexed against the saddle. _I hate this thing, if only you had scales on your legs, then I wouldn't have to wear it._

"I know Saphira, but unfortunately I don't." He said. Leaving the map he moved over to her and began to fiddled with the straps. A few minutes later Eragon took a few steps back. "Is that any better?" He asked.

Saphira flexed and rolled her massive shoulders. _Much, thank you._ She said, rubbing her snout against him. _Well then, shall we go?_ She asked, stretching her wings in preparation. Spyro and Cynder did the same whilst Eragon climbed up Saphira's leg and on to the saddle, securing his legs in the straps.

Once he was safely seated Saphira surged forwards, bringing her wings close to her body, and leapt out into the open air and the light drizzle in all her majestic glory. She plummeted slightly until her wings unfurled and caught her, and with one thrust of her wings she rocketed upwards. _I think I'm going to enjoy this journey, _Saphira mentioned as Spyro and Cynder caught up to her. _We've never been able to go somewhere without having to report it to someone._

_Aye, I'm actually excited about it, for the first time we don't have to worry about anyone else, at least for a time._Eragon replied, relishing the wind in his air and the rain on his face. The three glistening dragons then headed west, leaving Ellesmera and entering the vast forest.

--

_This is ridiculous._ Eragon grumbled as he wiped his face yet again. The light drizzle that he had been enjoying had suddenly transformed into a torrential downpour. There was no wind, however, so the dragons were able to carry on travelling without having to stop and by the end of the day they had covered a large area of ground; they were just north of Osilon.

_It's not so bad. _Saphira replied, the water making her scales glistening brightly in the waning sun.

_Easy for you to say, you're waterproof, nothing gets past these scales,_ He said as he tapped them, _Unless I do this._ He then lifted up one of the scales, allowing the cold water to slide beneath it and onto her sensitive skin. She shuddered as she felt it and jerked, making Eragon shift and the scale to fall back into place.

_Don't do that! _She growled, _It's cold, not to mention the fact that it tickles. _Eragon laughed whilst they began to look for a place to settle down for the night. The tree tops provided a minimal protection from the rain, but not much, so they were looking for some sort of protection from the elements.

"Won't that down there do?" Spyro shouted as he indicated to a fallen tree. It was impressive in girth and if they lay beneath it in a line they would be quite comfortable.

_That will do nicely._ Saphira replied as she began to circle downwards towards it. She touched down softly, despite her weight, and allowed Eragon to dismount her before she crawled beneath tree and nestled next to the rock it was leaning on. _Not as comfortable as my dais but it's passable, at least it's dry._

"I didn't fancy lying down in a puddle so that's a plus." Eragon replied as he crawled in next to her, making himself comfortable against her side.

_Am I only a cushion to you?_ She asked as Spyro and Cynder joined them.

"Well you're certainly comfortable, you can think of yourself as a cushion if you want." Eragon replied, earning him a face full of smoke. After a coughing fit Eragon focused on Spyro. "What can we expect from this Chronicler?"

"A lot of confusion." He replied. "He likes to make things a lot more complicated than they need to be." Eragon nodded, remembering the complicated lessons that Eragon had been forced to learn by Oromis.

_Would he object to us coming along?_ Saphira asked.

"I don't think he would, he didn't mind Sparx…WE FORGOT SPARX!" Spyro suddenly shouted, startling everyone. He shot up and made to move off but Eragon stopped him.

"Don't worry, I got him." He said as he moved to the saddle bag and pulled out the magically soundproof jar that they had trapped Sparx in. Sparx beat his fists furiously on the glass, screaming at the top of his small lungs but no sound was heard by either Eragon or the dragons. "I took him off the shelf before we left and stowed him in the bag." Eragon explained.

"It wouldn't be so bad if we had forgot him." Cynder commented, taunting Sparx from outside of the jar by smirking at him and tapping the glass with a claw. Sparx replied by pointing at her and then Spyro before making gestures to imply that they were a couple. "You stupid dragonfly," She said with a blush, "You've got nowhere to run to." She then sat on her hind legs, picked up the jar with her forelegs and began shaking it, bouncing the small dragonfly around inside.

Eragon laughed as he watched Spyro spring forth and snatch the jar off her, only to start shaking it himself when Sparx did to him what he had done to Cynder. _I don't think we are going to get to sleep any time soon, you can scratch that early rise off your plan. _Saphira said to Eragon.

--

The edge of Du Weldenvarden could be seen on the horizon as they ascended into the sky from the river they had refreshed themselves at. Once again, however, the sun was on it's way to the horizon, slowly dropping out of the sky and ending a somewhat uneventful day.

They had indeed spent most of the night awake, arguing, bickering, but laughing, right up until Spyro fell asleep in the middle of a conversation; a source of much amusement for Saphira and Cynder. As a result of that they got up much later than they had intended which was why they had covered such little distance in the time it took for the light to disappear.

Eragon was as always amazed at how fast Saphira could cover ground. The trees below zipped past as her muscles strained to keep her body in the air and propel it forwards. Soon they had left the safety of Du Weldenvarden and were flying high over freshly harvested fields. _I can smell the ocean. _Saphira suddenly said, startling Eragon.

_You can smell it already? Wow, we must be closer than we thought, either that or your nose has gotten better. _Saphira snorted.

_My nose is as good as ever, the sea is only a few leagues ahead of us, you just can't see it yet due to the ridge. _She explained.

_And is that Ceunon?_ Cynder asked pointing to a black smudge on the horizon towards the south-east.

_Well as there is no other town or city on this area of the map I would have thought so. _Saphira replied, a hint of irritation concealed within her voice which only Eragon could detect. He had to admit to himself that Saphira had been acting strangely, especially towards Cynder, but he just couldn't place his finger on it.

_We should fly closer along the ground then._ Eragon suggested. _It wouldn't do well for us if we put Ceunon on their guard before the elves have a chance to attack. _Cynder and Spyro dropped first, Saphira taking a survey of the area before joining them. As they descended the black smudge disappeared behind hills and trees, concealing the dragons from the town and vice versa.

Now with a lower altitude and slower speed those capable of vocalised speech could do so. "We should look for a suitable area to camp for the night, I don't like the idea of crossing the sea and entering the Spine in the middle of the night." Eragon said.

_That ridge __before the sea is a line of sand dunes, we can rest there, it's reasonably sheltered and I doubt anyone would see us there. _Saphira replied, using her keen eyes to study the horizon. Eragon considered it for a moment and then agreed. Saphira picked up speed and began to look for an air current to help move her along. Once she found one she moved even faster, eager to get to the dunes before night fell, Spyro and Cynder entering her slipstream and keeping pace with her.

The brisk wind chilled Eragon's face so he lowered it to Saphira's scales allowing her warmth to relieve his cheeks from the drop in temperature. He began to grow drowsy as he lay there, and he began to drift, until Saphira landed, causing his head to jar against her muscular neck as she braced for the impact.

He thought she had come to a complete stop and began to unbuckle the straps that held his legs in place until she toppled forwards as the sand shifted under her weight, knocking her down the slope. Eragon panicked as she began to roll, bringing him with her. He franticly pulled at the straps but that only proved to make them tighter and before he could do anything else he felt his body hit the sand, Saphira moving over him.

He was pushed into the sand as her massive bulk rolled over him, forcing the air out of his lungs, but not hurting him. The sand lessened the effect of her weight, and soon he was coming back up the other side as Saphira made a full roll. She immediately spread her legs out, stopping her roll and leaving her spread-eagled on the sand. _Are you hurt, little one? _Saphira urgently asked as he coughed and spluttered upon her back.

"I'm…fine." He said between coughs as he regained his breath. When he had calmed down a bit he shook the sand from his hair. "You know, you aren't as heavy as you look." He laughed.

"Are you alright?" Cynder asked as she and Spyro landed on either side of Saphira, almost loosing their footing as Saphira had done.

_We're fine. _Saphira snapped before she could stop herself. Cynder took a step back at this response, and Eragon and Spyro looked at Saphira curiously. Before much else could be said Saphira stood up and began to walk away, bringing Eragon with her. Cynder and Spyro looked at each other in confusion and then followed.

_What was that about?_ Eragon asked, taking a glance back at Cynder.

_Nothing, leave it alone._ Saphira simply replied.

_Something is obviously wrong, you can't hide that fact from me._ Eragon rebutted, trying to worm his way into her mind. He hit a wall and was bounced back.

_I said leave it alone, _She repeated, a growl escaping from between her lips, _it will pass._ Seeing any further questioning as futile, Eragon decided to focus his attentions else where.

_This looks like a good spot. _He said as Saphira descended down a sandy slope that was surrounded by others. _Well concealed, we could even have a fire. _Saphira nodded and lowered herself into a crouched position in the middle of the depression. Eragon then dismounted as Spyro and Cynder joined them.

--

The sky was clear as Eragon looked up at the moon. It looked down on him form its home with the stars, which sparkled faintly amidst their numerous brothers. The fire was warm on his back despite it being quite a distance from him. Eragon had decided to spend some time thinking on top of their little hideaway, leaving the dragons to bask in the fire's heat.

"Eragon, can I join you?" A voice called out.

"You know, I wouldn't say no, Cynder." Eragon replied as he took a step to the left. Cynder sat down on her haunches next to him, her head level with his; both she and Spyro were a lot smaller than Saphira but still bigger than a human. "So did you want to talk or did you just want to sit?" Eragon asked.

"I want to talk," Cynder replied, dropping into a whisper, "about the Dark Master." Eragon nodded in understanding, he had come to expect these talks.

"Anything in particular?"

"I'm scared of facing him," the black dragoness continued, "What if he returns? I don't know what will happen when I come face to face with him, whether I will fight, run away, or worse…join him." Eragon turned to look at her.

"You wouldn't join him willingly would you?"

"Of course not, but his presence is always at the very back of my mind. The acts he made me do whilst under his control have imprinted themselves on me, if he tempts me with the power I once held or something more then I don't know if I can resist."

"Cynder, I understand how you feel, facing against an enemy like that must be terrifying, but you must focus on something else when you face him, not your doubts. Think about what he has done to your past, how he took away everything you knew and left you here alone. That is the only way to avoid his influence if you are confronted, and that's a big if too, you don't even know if he's still alive."

"True, I don't." She replied. They remained in silence for a few minutes until Cynder spoke again. "Are you sure it's alright for you to help us on our journey to the chronicler?" She asked. "Doesn't the Varden need you?"

"I am needed, that is true, but I need some time to think without having to be distracted by my overwhelming responsibilities." Eragon answered. "I'm worried about what to do about Murtagh. He's my brother and he unwillingly serves Galbatorix but if it comes to it I may have to kill him."

"Wouldn't he prefer it if you killed him if the other alternative is servitude underneath that king?" She asked.

"That's the thing, I know that both Saphira and I would but Murtagh told me that he has no intention to die, especially not willingly like I asked him to."

"Then there must be a way to save him without actually hurting him."

"Aye, there is, if I kill Galbatorix then his hold over Murtagh would be removed and he and Thorn would be free. But the question is whether I can kill Galbatorix before I fight Murtagh. If Galbatorix sends Murtagh first I may be forced to kill him."

"I don't mean to sound tactless but if it must be done it must be done." Cynder said. "If there is nothing you can do for Murtagh then consider him lost for the time being, that way it wouldn't hurt as much if it actually comes down to it."

"I suppose you're right, it's just that he was a good friend…" Eragon trailed off.

"I'm sure he was, but he is no longer your friend on the battlefield. I know that it hurts but in order to bring down Galbatorix you may have to kill him, his dragon too." Eragon was about to say something but Cynder continued. "And I know that means that there will be one less dragon but there is still the green egg, Saphira would be able to produce more eggs with that dragon, she has already refused to do so with Thorn, she hates him."

Eragon had to admit that Cynder was right. He already knew everything she had said, but somehow talking about it made him feel better. "Thanks Cynder, I needed that." He said with a smile. She smiled back but then she disappeared, startling Eragon. It took him a few seconds to realise that it was Saphira, who now had Cynder dangling from her maw. "Saphira, what are you doing?!" Eragon shouted.

She ignored him and dropped Cynder on the sand away from Eragon and then began to growl at her. Unable to stop herself, and confused about what was happening Cynder growled back and soon they were eying each other up. "Stop it, right now!" Eragon demanded but they ignored him.

Spyro tried to calm Cynder down but she swatted him in the face with her tail, the tip narrowly avoiding contact with his face. "What's your problem?!" Cynder shouted at Saphira. The mighty blue dragoness lifted her head and roared, expelling a plume of azure flames into the air before snapping her jaws shut and glaring back down at Cynder.

_You are my problem._ She replied. Eragon had no idea what had suddenly gotten into Saphira but he knew it probably had something to do with him and Cynder.

_Saphira? _Eragon asked her mentally. Saphira turned her head and fixed her gaze on Eragon. _What's wrong, this is unlike you?_ He continued.

Saphira tried to say something but the words never formed into a sensible sentence, only jumbled words as she tried to think what to say. She finally settled on three. _I don't know. _She said, almost dumbly. She stopped baring her teeth, her face recovered it's usual and less ferocious look and finally she sat on her haunches.

Seeing this Cynder also stopped her growling, and then remembering what she had done to Spyro went over to him to see if he was alright. _What do you mean, 'you don't know'? _Eragon asked, perplexed by the answer.

_I have no idea why I acted like that, all I remember is growing angry when I saw her talking to you, you do realise that you don't talk to me as much as you used to?_ She asked.

_I talk to you all the time._ Eragon replied.

_Yes, about idle chitchat, I mean about your problems. You talk to her about them instead._ Saphira explained. Eragon suddenly knew what Saphira's problem was.

_Saphira, in all seriousness, are you jealous of Cynder?_ Eragon asked.

_What! _She exclaimed. _Of course not, why would I…_ She stopped when she noticed Eragon looking at her with an unconvinced expression. _Ok, maybe I am…just a little._

_Saphira, you shouldn't be jealous of Cynder. You will always be the one I come to with my problems, the only reason I talk to her about them is because she needs to know that she isn't the only one suffering, if she has someone to relate to then it will be easier on her. _Saphira lowered her head to the ground when he had finished.

_I'm sorry._ She said as she whimpered. Eragon laughed.

_It isn't me you should be apologising to._ He said as he looked at Cynder who was comforting Spyro, her tail did catch him on his nose and there was a small amount of blood lining the cut.

Saphira got up and moved towards Cynder, who heard her coming and got herself into a defensive position. _It's alright Cynder, I have only come to apologise. _Saphira said, causing Cynder to drop her guard. _I was behaving childish, I shouldn't have done what I did. Do you forgive me?_

Cynder considered her for a moment, she had never been treated like that before so didn't know what to make of the whole thing. "I guess I can forgive you, you didn't actually hurt me." She said with a wry smile. Saphira nodded and nuzzled her snout against the smaller dragon as a further act of apology. Cynder returned the nuzzle and then went back to comforting Spyro.

_Well they've certainly made things interesting, I'm entertained at least. _Eragon said with a laugh. Saphira turned to look at him.

_Would you like me to bury you? That would certainly keep me entertained. _Eragon looked at the twinkle in Saphira's eye and felt that she just possibly might not be joking.

**Please Review. For those who do not know I have a third story posted, it's in the Spyro catagory, I would love to see some of your reviews on it, would be helpful. I also recommend a story by Platypus Caper titled 'Bonded'. It's an Eragon/Saphira story with an interesting twist, you should love it, read it and give it the review it deserves. I may also be taking a small break from my Eragon stories, I need to rest my mind, plus it gives me a chance to read Brisingr, I've had it since Friday and I haven't been able to even open it yet. I should be back the weekend after the one coming up, I hope you'll be back. Thanks again.**


	16. An unwanted mission

**Hmm well unfortunately my break is over and I'm here again, I didn't even get a chance to finish Brisingr, far to many distractions to allow me to read it, I only got up to page 200. Anyway, you should like this chapter, I wont tell you why in case I ruin anything. Enjoy.**

He had come upon his objective by chance, which calmed him greatly. He had been thinking that he would be forced to search for the rider for a lot longer than he had been. He had found the Ra'zac not far north of Urû'baen, enclosed within a cocoon in a cave. He had waited for it to finish it's metamorphosis into a lethrblaka and then enslaved it, making it his stead as he had an unnatural fear of horses.

After that he began to search the land, looking for anyone who may have heard or seen where the rider had travelled to. He spent a few days in each city or village hoping for answers but each visit earned him nothing. He even gained no knew information when he confronted Katrina and Murtagh on one of their flights. The three flew off in their different directions, Murtagh and Katrina east towards Dras-Leona and himself to the north.

That was where he found the rider and dragon. A light skirmish had forced him out of Ceunon and unless he wanted to reveal powers he preferred to keep hidden he had to camp outside of the city. He had set up his camp a ways away from the city's wall, quite close to the beach, much to the lethrblaka's discomfort. That was where he heard the ferocious roar of the dragon and the jet of blue flame that plumed into the air.

Hydanza immediately reached into his pack and pulled out a small bowl and his water skin. He filled the bowl, peered over it and muttered, "Draumr Kópa," and a series of other words that had been said too quickly to make out. The water in the bowl went black and then portrayed an image of Galbatorix's throne room.

"You have news, Hydanza?" The voice of Galbatorix spoke, obviously he did not deem it worth his time to look through the other side of the scrying spell.

"I have, my lord." Hydanza replied. "I have found the dragon and her rider, they are north of Ceunon."

"And have you captured them?" Galbatorix asked.

"I have not, I thought it best that I report to you before I tried anything, that way you would at least know their general location should I fail." There was silence for a moment and Hydanza fidgeted, he questioned the wisdom of reporting to Galbatorix before he actually did anything to accomplish his mission.

"A wise decision, Hydanza, I will send Murtagh and Katrina to aid you in their capture. Between the three of you I am sure you will be able to capture the female and her rider. Until they join you your new orders are to track the rider, do not allow him to escape or I will personally kill you myself." With that the magic faded from the bowl as Galbatorix muttered his own spell and the water returned to normal.

Hydanza drank the water and then replaced the bowl back into his sack. A few clicks from the lethrblaka caught his attention. "No, you can not go and hunt, we can't let them know we're here. Wait until another time." A few more angry clicks followed but the lethrblaka made no movements. Hydanza returned to his tree to spy on the rider, thankful that he would be receiving help before he had to try to capture them.

--

Katrina dismounted Fyrenze alongside Murtagh who dismounted Thorn. They were in the King's personal dragon hold. It wasn't always his personal hold however, it was once a place where any dragon could rest when the riders were still in power. Now, however, it was used by only Thorn and Fyrenze, and before that the thirteen dragons that had belonged to the Foresworn.

_I wonder why he has summoned you, _Fyrenze said as Katrina removed the saddle for him. He had grown so that his shoulders were about a foot below Thorn's shoulders, a significant growth for a dragon of his age, by any normal measure he should have been half his size.

"I don't know," Katrina replied as she placed the saddle on it's hanging on a wall, "but whatever it is it must be important for him to interrupt out flight training."

_You were making progress too, _Thorn commented as Murtagh removed his own saddle, _You've both come a long way from your first flight together, which as I recall didn't go too well. _Katrina blushed at that comment whilst Fyrenze turned his head away. It was true that their first flight hadn't gone well. Katrina had been scared stiff at the thought of being in the air and Fyrenze, as young as he was, was doubtful in his ability to carry her. Murtagh and Thorn had reassured them that they would do fine and brought them into the air. In the middle of the flight Katrina had lost her nerve and fainted, causing Fyrenze to faint too as there mental link was so fresh that they hadn't developed the skill to pull away from each others minds.

"Well thankfully we were able to catch you before you made a mess on the ground," Murtagh said with a laugh, "but it was mildly funny in hindsight."

"It was not funny," Katrina replied, her face almost as red as her hair, "whoever heard of a rider and dragon that fainted on their first flight together, it must be the most embarrassing thing a rider has ever done."

"Well I wouldn't say that," Murtagh continued, a slight blush on his own cheek as he remembered his first flight. Thorn had also looked away, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

Katrina grinned, "Why, what happened on your first?" She asked.

"Well," Murtagh responded, "Thorn was still very young then, he didn't know his own capabilities. We were supposed to be following Shruikan through the east but Thorn began to lose his balance in the air and plummeted a few feet. Before either of us knew it he crashed smack into a tree, leaving us both unconscious." Katrina burst out laughing at this and even Fyrenze added his own deep, grating chuckle from his throat.

Refusing to be the only focal point for embarrassment Murtagh decided to divulge Eragon's first flight. "Eragon wasn't that successful either you know," He shouted over her laughter, "his first flight resulted in his legs being skinned by Saphira's scales, he wasn't wearing a saddle at the time."

Katrina winced at that. "I bet that hurt, I don't fancy having my legs skinned." Murtagh nodded in agreement. "Well it looks like we all had some sort of misfortune on our first flights, I'm just glad I wasn't the only one." Murtagh laughed and Katrina joined in, her peal of laughter sending tingles down Murtagh's spine, which Thorn felt through their link. He snorted in realisation but before anything could be said or done the two riders left the hold.

_Something wrong? _Fyrenze asked the ruby dragon. Thorn simply shook his head and made his way to one of the large beds designed for him. Fyrenze watched him for a moment before following and taking his own bed next to Thorn's. _Are you sure there's nothing wrong?_ The emerald dragon asked again.

Thorn shifted in his bed, mulling over the sensations he received from Murtagh and then, _I don't know._

--

Galbatorix looked up when the large doors opened and in walked the two riders. They walked down the carpet side by side, their swords at their waists and their light flying armour covering their bodies. When they were at a reasonable distance of about thirty feet from Galbatorix's throne they placed their right arms over their chest and dropped to one knee. "You summoned us, master." They both said at the same time.

Galbatorix's lips twitched at the sight of them performing in union, and the novelty of having two riders under his command. "Yes, I did summon you, and you have arrived promptly, well done. You may rise." He said and Katrina and Murtagh stood at their full height.

Silence filled the room as the two riders waited for the reason to their summoning. They remained motionless, the only movement coming from their chests as they inhaled and exhaled. "I am sending you two on a mission." Galbatorix finally spoke, startling both riders.

"What sort of mission?" Murtagh asked, casting a momentary glance to the sleeping form of Shruikan behind the throne.

Galbatorix smirked, "To collect your brother, of course. He is north of Ceunon, I already have someone there following them. You will join with that person and together capture Eragon and bring him to me as soon as possible, do you understand?" Murtagh and Katrina noticed that he was speaking in the ancient language, and ended with their true names, effectively binding them to his order. They also noticed, though, that he had not mentioned Saphira in his order, they would have to capture Eragon, but Saphira would still remain free…for a time.

Galbatorix sensed the slight relief in the two and caught on to his mistake. "And bring me the female dragon with her rider, do you understand?" The momentary relief they both experienced vanished after that, as far as they could see there was no way to circumvent their orders. "Well, do you?"

"Yes, ebrithil." They both grudgingly answered, bringing a smile to Galbatorix's face. With a wave of his hand he dismissed the two, their feelings of disgust at their future actions radiating through the hall.

_Well it seems things are looking up for you._ The voice in the king's mind said once the riders had left, closing the door firmly behind them. Galbatorix pointed his hand to the doors and they clicked as they locked.

"That they are, soon I will have the female and then I will be able to continue with my plans." Galbatorix answered.

_I have no moral objection to rape but you do know that Thorn and Fyrenze literally vomit at the thought of forcing Saphira to submit to them._

"They will do as commanded, if they do not then their race will die out. Hopefully the female will not refuse both of them for long, I am hoping she would pick at least one to mate her, if not both."

_Why is it you do not refer to Saphira by her name, is it because you do not want to acknowledge that she is more than a means for you to procure eggs? She has feelings, wishes, and hopes just like you do, does it make it easier for you to commit these crimes against her if she is nothing more than a 'female'?_

"Enough of these games, you do nothing but question my every move and motive for no reason other than to torment me. You've done that for over a hundred years ever since you found me in the Spine, broken and aimless. If you have no need to speak to me then please just leave me alone until you do."

_Calm down, Galbatorix, I am forced to remain her until the time is right and I do get very bored from time to time. The only relief from this boredom is to torment you, which as fun as it is, only relieves me for a short time so I must keep coming back. But I do have a reason to instigate a conversation with you._

"Then hurry up and spit it out, Shruikan's mind is plaguing me again and I wish to escape it through sleep."

_Very well, when you went to Helgrind to investigate what happened there what did you find?_

"Not much, according to the surviving Ra'zac the dragon and rider along with the rider's cousin stormed their lair in search of Katrina. Naturally she wasn't there but they still managed to kill the lethrblaka and after that they left."

_Are you sure there was nothing else?_

"The Ra'zac had been knocked unconscious after its fall off the mountain, but its story seemed to match with the evidence, I found the three bodies of the lethrblaka, killed by either magic or dragon fire. The mountain seemed to be disturbed but I could find no reason for it, now, leave me be."

_Very well, but when you have Eragon on his knees before you I shall have questions for him._ With that the voice once again retreated, leaving Galbatorix feeling physically tired. Before he could do anything he slumped in his chair, his head lolling against his chest, and fell into a deep sleep.

--

"I don't want to do this," Katrina muttered, "it's wrong and goes against everything I believe." They were making their way back to their respective rooms to collect their necessary equipment for their unwanted mission.

"I know," Murtagh replied, "but we have no choice. I hate not being able to do what I see fit, I'm a dragon rider, there should be no power that governs over me, least of all Galbatorix!" He slammed his fist into the wall, a resounding crack shortly following, but not from the wall.

"Now that won't solve anything," Katrina said, "let me see." Katrina reached out and took a hold of Murtagh's arm. He stiffened at her touch but then winced when she prodded his wrist. "You've fractured the bone, and pushed the two halves past each other, look." Murtagh looked at his wrist, it was an inch shorter and the swelling was immense. "Doesn't it hurt?"

"Strangely enough, no," he replied, "I must have damaged the nerve endings, either that or I'm in shock." Katrina shook her head in disbelief.

"You can be really foolish sometimes, do you know that?" Murtagh only laughed weakly, "Well either way, this is definitely going to hurt. Brace yourself." Murtagh did so and Katrina leaned her back against his front, his arm underneath hers. Her hair brushed up against his nose, giving him the wondrous fragrance. She leaned further against him, transferring the heat of her body into him, for a brief second he actually thought he felt her heart beat. But then nothing but mind numbing pain erupted into his skull, white hot stars flashing behind his eyes. He distinctly remembered yelling out but then nothing.

Katrina felt him fall limp and then start back up, stopping himself from falling. "Did you just faint?" Katrina asked, stifling a laugh. Murtagh stuttered but Katrina interrupted him. "You did didn't you, the great and powerful Murtagh fainted from nothing more than a broken wrist." Murtagh went red with embarrassment. "Well don't worry, it's almost finished." She moved away from Murtagh and placed his wrist in her hand. She then held her marked palm over it and said, "Waíse heill."

Murtagh felt his wrist begin to twitch and shiver as the bone began to seal itself back together. Then he felt a rush of heat infuse through his arm as the swelling was swept away and the burst blood vessels knitted themselves back together. When it was done Murtagh rolled his wrist experimentally; no pain whatsoever. "Just think how much magic could have helped Gertrude in Carvahall," She said with a smile as she looked at her handy work, "Her patients wouldn't have needed to receive nearly the same amount of time she gave to them."

"Yes well unfortunately I doubt she would develop the skill you have developed," Murtagh replied as they continued on their way, "I could have healed that myself you know."

"I know you could," She said with a smile, "but I'm sure you would agree that the more practice I get the more proficient I will become, I barely even felt the magic leave my body." They then remained in silence until they reached their rooms. Murtagh had had Katrina's room moved opposite his for convenience, also for selfish reasons too, he didn't have many friends.

"Right well I'll collect my things and meet you in the hold, see you later, Murtagh." She then opened her door and entered, closing the door behind her and leaving Murtagh alone in the hallway.

_I best collect my things then._ He thought, refusing to acknowledge the strange feelings he was beginning to develop.

--

_I refuse to do it,_ Fyrenze announced as they flew high over Ceunon, _she has the right to choose, the female always chooses, males only have the right to say no._

_It goes against every dragon fundamental there is, we aren't wild animals that take a female by force, _Thorn continued, _we have strict rules about mating, the female chooses the male and if she doesn't the male accepts that graciously and moves on, he doesn't force her to the ground and make her submit._

"Murtagh and I both share your objections," Katrina consoled, "Our own species does not abide by that either."

_But it's not just that, I will not have my eggs and hatchlings be forced to follow Galbatorix's rule, _Fyrenze said, _if I am to have offspring with Saphira it will be far away in a cave where no one can get to them._

Thorn snorted, _Any hatchlings that Saphira has through us will not be loved, she will resent them for what they are and they will not receive the care they need. I also sincerely doubt that Galbatorix will allow us time to raise them properly too, they'll be forced into service as soon as they are out of their shells with no parents to teach them._

"At the risk of sounding cruel, Thorn, Fyrenze, you don't really have a choice in the matter." Murtagh announced, earning angry growls from both dragons, "You have both been forced by your true names to commit to Galbatorix's desires and if he tells you to mate her you will have to. He also knows how far you would go to avoid that so he's made you swear that you will not make yourselves…incapable to perform the act."

_I hate this, _Thorn muttered, _I waited for so long for my rider and when I find him he is in the clutches of the very man that brought about the fall of my race. I envy Saphira in the fact that she hatched with a chance of freedom._

"If I could have helped it, Thorn, I would have. I tried to resist him but he broke my mind, twisted it and manipulated it, and then he learned my true name, and then yours. I could not resist after that. You know that he threatened to kill you in front of me many times."

_You should have let him._

"Thorn, you know that I couldn't do that, you hatched for me, you linked our minds together. Letting you die would be like letting part of myself die, and you know how much I want to survive." The dragons then retracted from their riders' minds, instead talking among each other. "I hope that we don't find them," Murtagh said, directing his statement to Katrina.

"Same here," she replied, "Eragon is as close to a family member to me than anyone, if Roran knew what I was going to do he would hate me for it and I don't blame him."

"I would hope that Eragon has the ability to kill us both, it would release us from our slavery but I don't want to die." Murtagh muttered.

Katrina was about to say the same thing when a black smudge suddenly erupted into the sky from the horizon. It began to grow larger meaning that whatever it was it was flying towards them. "Ready yourself, Fyrenze." She said as she placed her hand on his neck.

_No need,_ he replied, _it's Hydanza on the lethrblaka._ Sure enough as it grew closer Katrina could make out the shape of the lethrblaka and a quick thrust of her mind told her that the shade was definitely riding on it.

Thorn and Fyrenze then began to hover in place, waiting for the Lethrblaka to reach them. When it did it began to screech and hiss, causing the dragons to growl back in challenge. They only stopped when each of the respective riders either calmed them down or beat them into submission. "A pleasure to meet you both again," The cool and slick voice of the shade called out.

"I must say we weren't expecting the man to be you, Hydanza," Murtagh replied back, "We were expecting a magician of a platoon of soldiers."

"I was tasked with locating the rider several weeks ago, it has taken me time to find them, in fact it was entirely by chance that I did." Hydanza then directed them to follow him and they flew north towards the sand dunes. "They had made camp here," he said, indicating towards the hastily hidden camp fire and the deep impressions of talon marks, both large and small. "I have kept my mind following them and they headed east towards the Spine, they may or may not have crossed it by now depending on where they are going but if we have any hope of catching them before they find help we must leave now."

The slim hopes within Murtagh and Katrina that Galbatorix had been mistaken and Eragon was in fact with the Varden died when Hydanza confirmed that the rider had been present; the evidence was undeniable. They both sighed when Fyrenze and Thorn ascended again, the lethrblaka following closely behind. All four of them were gripped with a sense of despair and sorrow; when they found Eragon they would wrestle him under their control. And with the last free rider brought before Galbatorix to join the two that had already been subjugated no hope would exist for the Varden, the elves, dwarfs, all men would bow before the king.

**Special thanks goes to Nova the Cat for allowing me to use his idea of Hydanza, I meant to credit him when he was first mentioned but I keep forgetting to, sorry Nova. **

**Now, I may not be updating all my stories as much as I used to, my college work is suffering so I need to get that back on track so I'll update when I can rather than every weekend, I can't write somenights due to revision because I need to resit some exams. Luckily though if I get a few days free I might be able to get a chapter done relatively quick, you could get two chapters for any one story within the space of three days depending on my schedule, so have hope. Aside from that, please review, they are incredibly helpful especially if you tell me which bit could have done with some improvment or if you liked one particular aspect. I know that you are out there, I know that 40 people have the story in their alerts but only 20 review, it's the least you can do to drop me a quick review, it's not too much to ask. Thank you.**


	17. Captured

**I've still not finished Brisingr, please stop sending me messages asking if I'm going to include this or that, it's ruining the book for me. Thank you.**

The camp was simple enough with what was available to work with. Being on the cliff there were very few trees to provide shelter to the south and the only other viable source of accommodation was the crumbling watch tower further north along the cliff. Eragon choose the spot in-between them, allowing them to be able to notice if people were approaching but he doubted that they would be noticed, their fire was shallow and the ocean blacked them all out against the horizon.

_I went to such lengths to get this, Eragon, at least do it for me._ Saphira whined inside his head as he sat there staring into the meagre fire. She was trying to make him eat meat again, there was very little vegetation around them and he was beginning to grow hungry. He looked at her with the large fish in her mouth. _Fish is good, not my favourite but it is a rare meal, how often are we near an ocean. Please._

Because this constant whining was annoying to Eragon it didn't mean it was annoying to everyone. Spyro and Cynder were sat watching them whilst eating their own fish, quite a large one that Saphira had caught for them to share. They smiled with amusement as Eragon constantly tried to deny the fish, the dragon's and rider's conversation held in private within their heads.

A light thumping caught the two dragons' attentions just as they took another bite of their fish. They turned their heads, their snouts covered in pale blood, and looked at the jar containing their third companion on their journey into the strange world of Alagaesia. Sparx thumped again, getting frustrated at being kept in the confines of the small soundproof jar. Cynder smirked at the dragonfly before making Spyro look away and continue with their meal, further infuriating Sparx. "You little she-demon, I'll get you!" he shouted but he knew they couldn't hear him.

_If I eat the fish will you please stop moaning at me?_ Eragon asked, looking at the fish with a grimace. Her eyes sparkled as he said this and she nodded her head, making the limp fish shake as she did so. _Fine, give it here._ Saphira extended her neck and dropped the fish on his lap with a heavy slap. He held it up by its tail fin and looked at the blood seeping through the pockmarks left behind by Saphira's teeth.

_You'll enjoy it, I heard from those in the Varden that this particular fish is considered a delicacy in such coastal cities as Teirm. _She said as Eragon searched for a large, flat piece of shale to cook the fish upon. He then began to scale the fish before finally boning it and rubbing salt into the white flesh. _They taste better raw you know, _Saphira commented as he sliced the fish into fillets and placed them on the now hot shale.

_I refuse to eat raw meat, Saphira, _Eragon replied, _fair enough you can persuade me to eat meat but only cooked._ The dragoness muttered a complaint about ruining good food with heat and then lay down, admitting to herself that the smell of cooking was at least enjoyable.

Whilst Eragon was doing this Spyro and Cynder finished their fish. They licked their claws clean and attempted to clean their snouts before Cynder stood up, stretched and began to walk south to the trees. Spyro watched her go, something about the way she walked made him think she wanted him to follow her. He took a glance at Sparx who shook his head and waved his hands in a blatant display of 'don't you dare go after her and leave me here'. Spyro ignored him, got up and followed her, making Sparx hold his head in despair.

Spyro noticed that Cynder had stopped a small ways away and was looking at him. When he caught up to her she began moving again towards the trees, this time with Spyro by her side. She didn't say anything until they actually reached the trees and emerged between two tightly rooted oaks. She sat on her haunches and stared out at the ocean, the sound of the crashing waves drowning out the sounds of the crickets. "What are we doing?" Cynder then asked as Spyro took a seat next to her.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She sighed, then looked at him.

"We're stuck here as one of the main focuses of a war we know nothing about, Spyro," She said, her eyes full of concern. "There aren't anymore dragons left, everything we knew is gone and the only thing preventing us from getting into serious harm is Eragon and Saphira, who I doubt will be able to look after us forever."

Spyro remained silent for a few moments and then started, "Well we can only get by day by day. We might not be able to see what's ahead of us but at the moment we haven't met any difficulties." Cynder nodded and Spyro continued. "The only options I see is we either stay here with those two and see what happens or run off and find a secluded place where no one will be able to find us."

"Run off together?" Cynder asked, amused at the thought and the fact that Spyro didn't realise the implications. "And then what," she continued, "start a family?" She smirked at the shocked expression that blossomed on Spyro's face. "Oh calm down, I was only joking."

--

Hydanza thanked the lethrblaka that it had dark skin, it was perfect for observing the rider's camp below without being seen. _Mask your dragons' scents, the female is below me and only a league ahead of you._ He told the two riders, who then proceeded to use magic to conceal their dragons' scent.

Hydanza looked at the watch tower just north of the camp and headed down to it, hiding himself from view and providing a perfect place to prepare for an attack. Only five minutes later Thorn and Fyrenze landed quietly and all three of them were closer to their objective than ever before. "I'm nervous," Katrina said as she dismounted.

"So am I, but we have the advantage, we should be able to do this," Murtagh replied. "So, how do we do it?" He asked.

_Saphira needs to be subdued first, _Thorn answered, speaking from experience, _she is more than a match for just one of us, maybe even two, but the lethrblaka should tip the scales in our favour if we can catch her unawares._

_Is she really that much of a powerful dragoness? _Fyrenze asked.

_Last time I fought with her she had been fighting for many hours and she still managed to hold me off, I couldn't gain an advantage. _Thorn explained._ She has incredible strength and endurance…under normal circumstances I'd do anything to be her mate._

_She sounds incredible, and if her beauty matches her strength she would be the most sought after dragon there ever was…_ Fyrenze mused as he allowed himself a brief moment to day dream.

"Well ok then," Katrina said, amused at Fyrenze, "but what about Eragon?"

"I'm betting his mind will not be in the fight when he sees you," Murtagh answered, "he completely lost his concentration when he discovered that I was the rider he was fighting. He should be relatively easy to capture."

"But he has so much more knowledge of magic than we do, granted we know more powerful spells but he has been practicing for two years where we have only had a few months."

"If you can disarm him," Hydanza started, "then I should be able to make it easier to subdue him, and once he is at our mercy his dragon should fall into line and comply with our wishes." Katrina and Murtagh looked at the shade with suspicious expressions, but figured that they didn't have time to think of a more detailed plan. For now it seemed that they were ready, it was now or never.

--

_Enjoying the fish?_ Saphira asked as Eragon placed another piece into his mouth and began to chew.

_Actually, yes I am, _he replied mentally. He had taken to speaking with Saphira using only his mind when no one else was around, it just seemed right to do so. _I guess I could eat meat in moderation, as long as I'm not the one to kill it, unless it's necessary._

_Good, _Saphira replied happily, _I'd be happy to share my meals with you, I'm just glad that you have outgrown that silly little notion of yours, those skinny muscles might gain a bit of mass from now on._

_Yeah, thanks,_ he said with a light laugh before allowing his mind to wander.

_Tell me, little one, what is on your mind._ She said, getting up and moving closer to him where she could tap her claw against his head.

_Do you have to do that? _He asked as he batted her scaly hand away.

_Of course, at least until you tell me what you're thinking. _She replied as she helped herself to a small piece of his fish, _hmm a slightly different taste, but I still prefer it raw._

_I was thinking, _Eragon said as he offered her another piece, _about the war, or more specifically what is going to happen if we win. For starters where will we live, will we need to stay among the humans or elves or can we live alone somewhere in the mountains or the desert._

_You think about questions that I have given much thought, unfortunately most of the answers I come up with involves saving the green egg and having that a part of my life. _Saphira answered in a saddened tone. _I want to have a mate and eggs to care for and live the life of a dragoness of old. But I know that having none of those things is a possibility so I try not to dwell. If the worst does happen I'll just have to move on and find something else to occupy myself with, perhaps caring for your children._

_Who said I was having children? _Eragon asked, startling Saphira.

_You don't want a family? _She asked incredulously, _Why would you want to go by without someone to love or without children to pass on your knowledge to._

_I didn't say that either, _he replied, confusing her more, _think about it, Saphira, we are both immortal. If I fall in love with someone and have children I will out live them, they will die before me leaving me with the grief of loss. Now when you consider the fact that I am timeless that could happen countless times and I don't like the way that sounds, it would probably break me._

_What about an elf? _She asked, trying to comprehend his decision.

_True enough that they are long lived but they do have a time when they die. The only way I would be able to keep the one I love is if I marry a rider and as Murtagh isn't exactly my type it will have to be the rider of the green egg which means me and you would have another thing in common._

Saphira rumbled as she thought but then finally snorted, _Well it seems we have more of a reason to retrieve the green egg, and then I'll hope that its rider is female for you. Of course that means if we fail the both of us will steal ourselves away, you by choice and me by force, not exactly what I want but it can't be helped._

Eragon placed his hand against Saphira's snout which she hummed against, _I'm sorry, and I know you'll say that there's nothing for me to be sorry for but I'm still sorry nonetheless._

_It's ok, little one, I'm sorry too. _They then sat in silence, just content with being in each other's presence, until they heard a quiet clicking noise somewhere in the darkness. _What was that?_

_--_

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens, we could speculate all we want but we just won't know until it happens." Cynder finished. Spyro remained silent, listening to the waves. He then jumped when he felt Cynder place her head against his shoulder, "You know you're the only person who stuck by me, Spyro, despite what I told you to get you to leave me alone. Thank you." Spyro wasn't expecting that, he didn't know what to say. He made a bold move and inclined his head towards hers where it rested upon her scales.

"You were just like me, I couldn't leave you there when you changed back to your true self, it wasn't fair. Then you just needed someone to help you adjust after your former life, which you made harder to do because you ran away."

Cynder laughed lightly, "Yeah, I'm sorry for putting you through that, Spyro, it was selfish of me to leave." Spyro was about to say something but Cynder cut him off. "I guess I was just scared. I didn't know what to do with myself…but I'm glad you went looking for me." Spyro smiled, he thought it best not to tell her that he wasn't actually looking for her, he would have done anyway so it didn't seem necessary for him to tell her the truth.

Several roars and a series of screeching brought the two young dragons out of their conversation and they turned around to look towards Saphira. The trees obscured there view, however, so they quickly ran to the tree line. What they saw then shocked them. Saphira was fighting off two other dragons and a strange creature and Eragon was engaged in a duel with two other humans.

--

Saphira was surprised at first when Thorn and a green dragon emerged out of nowhere and began attacking her. She certainly wasn't expecting the green dragon to be there even if Thorn did attack. But after the momentary surprise passed she was filled with sadness. The last egg had hatched within the hands of Galbatorix, which meant that the last dragon and her only chance of a mate was now her enemy, which meant she couldn't have the family she wanted. She was then, however, furious. Not only had Galbatorix removed her chances of true happiness but the green dragon had the nerve to choose a rider that served the blasted king.

_You little snake, _She roared at the green dragon, _how dare you show yourself to me like this, under the control of the one who doomed our race. You should allow yourself to die rather than serve his wishes. _She whipped her tail against his face where it made contact with a harsh slap, bowling the dragon over. In her anger, however, she forgot about Thorn who threw himself on her, his weight making one of her legs buckle and causing her to crash to the floor.

Before she could throw him off her, however, Fyrenze launched himself onto her, joining Thorn and adding his weight to keep her down. To their dismay, however, Saphira still managed to start raising herself, hissing and growling at the effort but still making progress. The lethrblaka then made it's move and swept Saphira's feet from under her, crashing her to the floor again with a hiss. It then placed it's foot on her neck and pushed down, definitively pinning the mighty dragoness.

Eragon kicked Murtagh back before spinning and blocking Katrina's sword with Mor'ranr. He was devastated when he saw Katrina leap of her dragon's back. She had become the next rider and therefore his enemy. Roran would do anything to be with her and he was worried that he would defect to the empire to do that. "Why is it everyone I have ever liked or loved constantly betrays me?" He yelled out as he parried a blow from Murtagh and ducked under a cross chop from Katrina.

"I'm sorry Eragon, but I have no choice," She cried back, a few tears slipping down her face. She made to kick his legs from under him but he jumped and they passed harmlessly underneath him. He then sliced at her sword arm but she pulled back and then punched him in the chest, the surprising strength of it knocking him off his feet.

"We can't stop, Eragon," Murtagh said to him as he went to disarm him, but Eragon kicked him away and jumped back to his feet. "Just stop resisting, you don't want to kill us and we can't stop, if you come willingly it will be a lot easier on both you and Saphira." Eragon dodged a third blow from Katrina, this time to his sword hand and then boldly punched her in the side of the head. She fell over and Eragon thought he had over done it until she sprang back up, anger flashing in her eyes.

_Let me go you wretched creatures!_ Saphira hissed as she thrashed beneath them. They refused to do so, in fact they refused to growl back at her too, which would have been the appropriate response to an insult and a growl from another dragon.

_We're sorry, Saphira, but we can't, this isn't our choice._ Fyrenze said to her with regret. He didn't want to hurt her, in fact he wanted to let her go and introduce himself properly but his orders prevented him from doing so.

_You had a choice! _She countered, _you could have waited to choose a rider that was free. You chose this path and through it chose not to be my mate, I will not accept either of you._ She roared, which hurt both the dragons, they knew that her choice didn't matter.

Eragon began to lose the will to fight as the duel progressed. He kept dwelling on the fact that there were now two riders against him, one his brother and the other his cousin's fiancée. He began simply defending, not wishing to kill either of them, he would fight until he collapsed from exhaustion as his magical wards prevented them from using magic to make him sleep or restrain him.

He took a fleeting glance at Saphira lying helplessly beneath Thorn and the green dragon. If he gave up she would be forced to serve Galbatorix too, and after what the Ra'zac told him at Helgrind he had no intention of allowing that to happen. He had to win for her, and if that meant killing one or both of the riders to make them retreat then so be it.

Fully rested he was a far superior swordsman than Murtagh and with a flurry of intense blows he brought Murtagh to his knees. In a move of desperation Murtagh swung Zar'roc at Eragon's knees, he'd survive with no legs. But Mor'ranr intercepted the blow with such force that it pushed the blow back and propelled Zar'roc clear from Murtagh's grasp.

He looked at Murtagh on his knees before him and began to mentally prepare himself to kill the rider. _He has to die, he's the enemy, _he thought as he looked into Murtagh's eyes; he seemed unafraid to die. _One less rider would help the Varden immensely, and it's the stronger of the two too, I may be able to capture Katrina and take her back to the elves, I'm sure there would be something we can do to save her._

Katrina saw Eragon bring his sword up, preparing to deal a death blow, and she surged forwards, her sword held high. She then brought the hilt against the back of his head, the blow making him drop Mor'ranr. Now that he was dazed, Hydanza made his move. He surged forwards and pushed Murtagh away, who was getting up. He then grabbed Eragon by the hair, pulled his head back and emptied a vile of a clear liquid down Eragon's throat.

--

Cynder and Spyro gasped when they saw Eragon collapse after the third man dropped him. They were shocked that the two could have lost. "We have to do something!" Cynder cried out. Spyro leapt into the air and flew towards Saphira. Cynder flew after him and noticed that the black creatures wings were flailing. She then let out a blast of wind that caught those wings, lifting the lethrblaka into the air. Spyro then shot a blast of electricity at it, the attack hitting squarely against its chest.

Cynder had changed direction when her attack lifted the creature off Saphira and she flew towards Eragon. She dropped to the floor and began to charge the three figures that were grouped around the unconscious form but before she could get close enough to unleash a breath attack one of them turned around and shouted, "Slytha!" The word had a powerful affect on Cynder and she toppled over, her momentum causing her to roll head over tail until she came to a stop before the three figures.

"Another dragon!" Murtagh exclaimed when she stopped before them sleeping.

"Where did it come from?" Katrina asked, shocked. She then looked up at Fyrenze and noticed another dragon fighting the lethrblaka.

Murtagh began inspecting the black dragon. "It looks different to normal dragons," he muttered, "it also looks female." He inspected her more closely to make sure and then confirmed that she was in fact female. Then an idea came to him. He stood up and then made to walk to Katrina, but half way to her, as he walked past Hydanza, he swung Zar'roc at Hydanza and cleaved the shade's head from his shoulders.

Katrina was shocked at that, especially after the two pieces of Hydanza vanished in an explosion of black smoke. "You killed him?" She asked.

Murtagh shook his head. "You can only kill a shade with a wound to the heart, he'll resurface somewhere. I needed him gone for a while to get away with this."

"Get away with what?" she asked, confused.

Murtagh pointed at Cynder. "This dragon is a female, Galbatorix told us to bring him Eragon and a female, he didn't actually tell us to bring Saphira by name. We can bring him this one instead, she's much to small to be of any use to Galbatorix and if Saphira is free now there's still a chance she can evade capture in the future."

Katrina nodded in realisation, then smiled, "It would be a lot easier than carrying Saphira back." She then told Thorn and Fyrenze about what was going to happen before tying up both Eragon and the black dragoness.

The lethrblaka fought back against Spyro ruthlessly, clawing and nipping at the purple flesh despite the fact that its wings had been frozen to its back. _We're going to get up, _Thorn started,_ and we will leave. The dragon there is struggling and probably won't survive if you attempt to follow us. _Thorn and Fyrenze then leapt off Saphira, who tried to snap at them but missed.

The two flew along the floor towards their riders and scooped them up, along with Eragon and Cynder. Saphira stretched her wings to follow and flew a few feet before a yell from Spyro made her turn back. The lethrblaka had him trapped against the watchtower and was preparing to kill him. She roared with frustration and dived towards the lethrblaka. It didn't even have a chance to turn around before Saphira dug her claws into its back and tore into its neck with her teeth. It screeched in agony and thrashed before it collapsed under her weight.

Saphira removed herself from the twitching and crippled creature and shot into the air. Her eyes scanned the horizon but she couldn't see the dragons in the night sky, their scales failing to reflect light into her keen eyes. She tried to locate them with their scents but that too failed. She finally resorted to using her mind but that only brought her attention to the fading mind of the lethrblaka and the distraught mind of Spyro.

Realising that she couldn't find them and that she had lost her rider she dived to the floor, landed heavily upon it and roared out in agony, the cry shaking the nesting birds from their trees and causing herds of deer to scatter.

**I always forget what I want to put in these little notes, and today is no different. Oh well. Please review, I still didn't get many reviews for the last chapter, I would like more for this one if you would be so kind as to click the review button and leaving me one.**


	18. The Battle of Ceunon

**I'll tell you now, contrary to the name of the chaptor do not expect a huge chapter dedicated to a fight. This is my first true battle that I've had to write and as such I haven't had much experience, so just don't get your hopes up. Now aside from that you should enjoy the chapter at least...well enjoy!**

The guards in Ceunon didn't know what to make of it. They talked among themselves and fidgeted but still no one made a decision. The sound of people running and children crying deafened the guards on the lower tiers of the wall until one loud, deep voice shouted up over the rest. "Close the gates! Ready your arms. Those elves must not take this city. For Galbatorix and the Empire!" The city's commandant shouted

"For the Empire!" Came the thunderous reply, although hardly any of the soldiers had their hearts in the cry, they would much rather be fleeing with the rest of the citizens. Men broke off from the main soldier body and spread the order to close the gates. The order spread quickly from soldier to soldier, easily making it to the gates before the citizens could reach them. The gates were closed before any of them had a chance to flee. They were trapped within the confines of the city with the elves about to press down on their position.

The soldiers that were there to defended them ignored their cries for help and to let them go, they were much to busy conscripting able bodied men and boys that could bolster their forces and soon had them armed and lined up with the rest of the soldiers. Most were sent to the docks to add to its defensive capabilities. Due to the need for ships to moor themselves on the multitude of piers the wall around the city was weaker there and various gates and passages through the wall had been constructed into the stone to allow herds of animals to be loaded without having to have them traipse through the city streets.

"They advance!" A watchman shouted as he fixed the banner of war upon a tower. With the warning of the elves advancement, the commandant ordered the archers to take their positions on the ramparts, a mix and match of boys and men, hunters and soldiers, anyone with experience using a bow or crossbow, the later being rare amidst the crowd. Whilst this was happening the city's inhabitants had taken to returning to their homes, barricading themselves in to escape the armies incessant and undiscriminating conscriptions and to prevent any harm to come to themselves from either side of the conflict, be it elves or humans.

The streets were soon empty, and without the shouting of the people the sound of the elves' footfalls could be heard, but only barely, masking the true strength of its size. Only the archers at the front of the wall actually knew what they were up against, with the soldiers further inside the defensive perimeter basking in the ignorance that they could easily defeat whatever force was bearing down upon them. "Archers, ready!" The commandant shouted as he gauged the elves' progress. Each of the men notched an arrow and pulled back on their bowstrings, holding them ready to fire.

The commandant watched the elves advance, drawing closer and closer within range. He constantly gave the order to steady as the men along the lines quivered and their arms ached; many of the men slackened their arms until they were berated by the soldier behind and they resumed their position again. The commandants lips twitched as the third line of elves passed the tree he had marked as a point of reference; they were in range. He took a breath, his lungs expanding in preparation for the order he was about to shout. It came out loud and clear, reaching all the archers in the long lines on either side of him. "Loose!"

--

Saphira's eyes clicked open when she realised she had dozed off. She shot up and rampaged across the clearing, cursing herself for allowing even the notion of sleep to enter her mind, let alone performing the act. Her thrashing and pounding woke Spyro who, frightened of the sapphire dragoness, stayed where he was by the crumbling watch tower, the body of the long dead lethrblaka lying close by. He wasn't sure when exactly he had fallen asleep. It didn't seem likely that he would have done, Saphira had been wailing and thrashing all night, distraught over the fact that she could not even begin to look for Eragon within the empire without being seen, captured, or defeated if she did find the two shur'tugal.

A series of cracking and crashing sounds made Spyro look up and he witnessed Saphira tearing through the trees that he and Cynder had been sitting by the night before. They splintered and snapped like twigs as she vented her frustration and anger; so far she had yet to expel flames, something which Spyro assumed would be happening sometime soon. Looking at those trees made Spyro remember Cynder, how she had looked in the moonlight and how she had spoke to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He immediately felt a pang in his heart as he realised that she was gone and in serious trouble.

A glint in the distance caught his eye as he felt despair try to take a hold of him and it held it at bay, his curiosity taking place in his mind. He stood up and moved towards it still thinking about Cynder but not feeling the emotions that came with her, for now. As he grew closer he recognised it for what it was and sprinted the last few feet towards it. He flipped the glass jar upright and looked down at the motionless Sparx it contained. He tapped his claw against the glass and the dragonfly twitched in response. Spyro felt relief at that and proceeded to delicately remove the top of the jar with his claws. Upon it's removal he flipped it up and Sparx fell lightly to the ground.

"Sparx, are you ok?" The purple dragon asked the yellow dragonfly. He twitched again but didn't move until Spyro nudged him. The dragonfly sat up and rubbed his head at that point. He looked around as if confused and then centred on the glum face of Spyro.

"What happened?" He asked, "all of a sudden the wind picked up and the jar fell to the floor, then I must have been knocked out 'cos I don't remember a thing after that." A sound of crackling and roaring filled the area and Sparx and Spyro looked back to see Saphira burning the trees she had destroyed in a further attempt to expel her rage. It didn't seem to work as she began to pound her tail continuously against the floor until she finally gave up with an exhausted and sorrow filled roar and collapsed to the floor.

Sparx looked back at Spyro with a confused look upon which Spyro sighed. "Eragon and Cynder were captured last night by two other dragons and riders." The dragon answered, shocking Sparx. The dragonfly looked back at Saphira whose sides were now heaving as she cried.

"I liked Eragon…" Sparx stupidly said. He soon found himself flying through the air after Spyro flicked him with his tail. He caught himself though as he spread his wings and flew back down to Spyro. "What's your problem!" He shouted.

"Do you not care that Cynder was taken too?" Spyro shouted back as he walked away towards Saphira, "I knew you didn't like her but you could at least show some remorse!"

Sparx seemed affronted by this, "I didn't mean it like that, of course I'm upset that she's gone, I have no one to bug now." A faint twitch of a smile appeared on Spyro's muzzle before he covered it. "Look, I know you like her," Spyro looked at him and was about to interrupt but Sparx continued, "it's painfully obvious despite the fact that you constantly deny it. I mean you save her mangy hide from being sucked into that vortex thing, you then try and save her from those stupid pirates, and then after that you leave the safety of those creepy talking caverns to rescue her from an even creepier dark mountain resulting in you trapping all of us in a crystal for thousands of years. Are you going to tell me that anyone who does that for someone doesn't have some sort of feelings for that someone?"

"…shut up Sparx." Was Spyro's only reply, giving Sparx something to tease the young dragon about. He hovered above his head between his horns and then seated himself on his scales.

"Spyro's in love, Spyro's in love, Spyro's in love…" He broke into a melody, infusing Spyro's face with a blush.

"I am not, Sparx!" Spyro shouted over the dragonfly's rambling, "Now grow up, this is serious, I don't think Saphira will be in the mood to listen to you." Sparx quickly quietened down at that, Saphira still scared him and with the way she was now he definitely didn't want to get on her bad side.

Saphira heard them approach but she didn't move, nor did she growl to dissuade them. Instead she simply allowed them to move to her now sodden eyes and gaze upon her pitiful form._ It's over,_ she said, surprising Spyro, _we can't win the war without Eragon. Galbatorix now has three riders, two of which have dragons. I can't fight two dragons at once, especially when that time comes, they would have grown and I would have to fight without a rider. I would be captured and forced to submit to them._

Spyro shook his head, "You can't give up, Saphira. We have to try and rescue them." He said, almost pleading.

_You did not see how easy it was for Murtagh to destroy the dwarf's king, _Saphira countered, _he and the magicians protecting him were wiped out in seconds when Murtagh arrived to fight, and worse of all he showed no sign of wariness afterwards, he even held me in the air for a period of time, something which Eragon can not do for more than a few seconds. And with Katrina receiving the same training no one will be able to resist the two. Nasuada, Islanzadi, Orrin, all will fall before the riders, crushing the resistance in the process._

"There's still one thing left we can do before we can simply give up." Spyro countered.

_Really?_ Saphira replied sceptically, _and what might that be?_

"Continue on our journey to the Chronicler," he said, resulting in a glare from the sapphire dragoness before him.

_Do you really expect me to continue on this little journey, _she asked scornfully, _my rider has been taken, I should just return to the Varden and tell them what happened._

"You don't understand," Spyro said, his enthusiasm causing her to look up at him. "The Chronicler keeps records of every dragon that ever lived or will do. He has tomes of both me and Cynder, and probably of you if he still performs those duties." He paused allowing Saphira to try and work out what he was getting at, when she wasn't forthcoming he continued. "If we find him we can look at Cynder's tome, glimpses of the future can be found in the books that are only omitted when they don't happen." Saphira's mind then clicked.

_We can see where Cynder will be in the future by looking at her book! _She exclaimed as she quickly rose to her feet. _Then we can be there before she gets there and hopefully Eragon will be with her, if not we'll at least have another dragon back._

"Exactly," Spyro replied with a broad smile.

"Please don't tell me you plan on crossing that ocean now." Sparx complained as the two dragons began to walk to the cliff face.

"Why does that bother you? You'll be riding on me all the way there, you always do, I do all the work." Spyro replied, then cried out as he felt himself be lifted and placed on the hollow between Saphira's shoulders. "What are you doing?" He asked as moved about.

_The ocean is vast, I have no idea how long it will take cross it. You'll have to rest at some point so it would be best if you just let me carry you. _She then began stretching her wings and preparing herself for flight. Spyro resigned him self to it, deciding that it was a good idea and that falling into the ocean would not help at all.

--

The arrows disappeared as soon as they came into contact with the elves magical barriers, being consumed by small sparks of fire as they tried to punch through. Vanir watched, however, as one arrow managed to break their magical defences and embedded itself in an elf's chest. The two elves on either side quickly began to work their magic to heal the wound and return the elf to full health but it became apparent that it was futile when the elf broke into convulsions and then ceased her movements. After that the two elves that had been working on her began to pass her body down the lines away from the battle field where the body could be properly attended to.

Vanir shook his head at that, he understood that the elf gave her life and she should be respected appropriately but he was certain more elves would fall and there wouldn't be time to look after the bodies until after the battle. Another volley of arrows filled the sky and Vanir focused himself back onto the battle. He had been made one of the commanders of this elven army, with Islanzadi further back relaying orders to those she had placed in charge. She would undoubtedly join the battle eventually but for now she thought it best if the true strength of the elves remained hidden, the five hundred elves attacking the city was more than enough to overwhelm it. Many of the elves were not prepared to kill the soldiers they would face, they were hoping that the majority of the humans would realise they were out matched and surrender. They knew, however, that that was only hoping and they were willing to kill if the situation called for it.

The elves marched forwards under Vanir's command, their magical wards protecting them until they came to the cities walls. The elves had no siege weapons, nor did the city have time to prepare defences against an invasion force. Because of that the elves were forced to use their magic to open the gates whilst the soldiers could do nothing to stop them. It wasn't long before the gates were opened and elven invaders poured into the city where they were met by the demoralised human defenders. Swords met swords as battles broke out and the humans were either disarmed and pushed back or slain and pushed aside. It hardly seemed like it would last long to Vanir as the majority of his modest force began to take the outer streets and move inwards.

They didn't break into the locked houses, they only forced themselves against those that rose weapons against them, allowing those that dropped their weapons and refused to fight to pass by them unharmed. Vanir was among the elves that had made it to the centre of the city first where the most loyal of the King's soldiers were surrounding their commandant, who issued them orders to defend him. Vanir scowled at the human's cowardice as the man's 'protectors' threw themselves against Vanir and his elven companions. The humans were struck down or subdued easily with only a nick on an elven woman's head to befall Vanir's companions. At this point the commandant began to plead for his life, calling the elves heartless killers and that Galbatorix will destroy them and their pitiful cities. Not one to take an insult lightly like most elves his age Vanir quickly and painlessly struck the city's commandant down, leaving the city in their control.

The elves that surrounded Vanir looked at him with blank expressions but he knew they were disappointed with him. He didn't care, this was war, the elves were finally doing something to strike back at the Empire, and he would be damned if his fellow race was going to subdue his actions. He left the body where it lay and made his way back through the streets. People stared out through the shutters of their windows at him and he brushed against their minds telling them that the elves were not going to hurt them or their families.

He noticed that the rest of his invasion force had performed their duties without him telling them to. They lined the outer walls of the city and were forcing the soldiers who had given up to swear their allegiance against the Empire and Galbatorix. Vanir smiled, their first battle in over a hundred years had been a success. Ceunon had fallen.

--

_I don't think she's following us, Murtagh, do you think we could find a place to sleep for the night, we've been travelling all last night and all of today? _Thorn asked as they flew over another small mountain. They had been flying without stops through fear that Saphira might catch up to them, not because they were scared of her but of what they would do to her in order to complete their mission.

"I can't expect you to fly like this," Murtagh replied, "start looking for a cave, we can rest for the night and move on tomorrow." Thorn bobbed his head at that and began to descend towards the ground to gain a better perspective of its terrain. The sudden drop almost made Murtagh lose his grip on Eragon as the unconscious form shifted and slipped before Murtagh grabbed him.

He looked back and saw Katrina doing the same with the black dragoness on Fyrenze's back, struggling to keep the restrained creature still. _Just hold onto her until I can level out, _Fyrenze told his rider, _we can't risk dropping her. _Katrina nodded and tried her best to hold onto the dragoness until Fyrenze levelled out and followed Thorn to a cave where the red dragon was already making his way inside.

Fyrenze landed not long after and made his own way in, finding that Murtagh had already used magic to start a fire for light and warmth and Thorn was seating himself comfortably against the back wall. Fyrenze moved to join him and crouched so Katrina could slide down his side, taking the dragoness with her. Murtagh helped and together they placed Eragon and the black dragoness together in the corner of the cave furthest from the entrance. "What if they wake up?" Katrina asked as she positioned them comfortably.

"Then they wake up," Murtagh simply said as he walked away and seated himself in front of the fire. "We can't really do anything with them, they'll ask questions that we may or may not be able to answer and that will be about it."

"What if they try to escape?" she asked as she sat opposite him. Fyrenze and Thorn were talking among themselves, oblivious to their riders' conversation.

"They can't get very far, they're both bound with magically strengthened rope and Eragon is drugged and will continue to be so," he answered as he held out a vial of magic suppressing elixir.

"Alright then," Katrina said. The two then sat there in silence, not really sure of what to talk about. Fyrenze and Thorn on the other hand probably wouldn't stop for some time.

_She was so powerful,_ Fyrenze said as he lay there, _did you see how she almost managed to get up with the both of us holding her down? I really wasn't expecting that. _

_Yes, Fyrenze, I saw, I was there remember?_ Thorn answered, amused by Fyrenze's rambling.

_And those scales, _the infatuated dragon continued, _such a dazzling sapphire colour, I haven't seen anything like it, so beautiful. _He then paused for a moment, _I wish I could be her mate._ Thorn nodded in understanding. Ever since he had scene Saphira he did feel an unfounded attraction towards her, but he had admitted to himself that he did not know whether that was because she was the last female or whether he liked her solely on her looks; he hadn't a clue on her personality due to never holding a conversation with her.

_Unfortunately, Fyrenze, unless we can break free of Galbatorix' control you won't be able to, _Thorn explained, making Fyrenze lower his head as he realized that. _You'll also have to fight your way through me too, _the red dragon continued, a tone of amusement in his voice.

Fyrenze looked up at him at that point and growled a challenge, _You think I can't beat you for her? _He asked, upon which Thorn simply nodded and then chuckled at Fyrenze's response.

_Oh come now, Fyrenze, you do know that because there is only one female one of us will have to wait for one of Saphira's offspring. Eventually there will be a contest between the two of us to win Saphira over. _Thorn clarified. _But until then we shouldn't let it bother us, we should just…_

A quiet grunt brought Thorn's attention away from his conversation when he heard it. Everyone in the cave looked towards it's direction and saw the black dragoness begin to stir. Murtagh and Katrina stood up at that point and stood by their dragons, who were already towering over Eragon and the dragoness. They waited until she opened her eyes and tried to shuffle away at the sight of the two large dragons. _We will not harm you, little one, _Thorn reassured. The dragoness, however, did not listen and continued towards Eragon. _Please, tell us, what is your name?_

As soon as Cynder brushed against Eragon he too awoke, snapping his eyes open and trying to get to his feet but finding them bound together with his hands. He noticed Cynder and inspected her from, seeing that she was in the same bound state he was. "Are you alright, Cynder?" He asked, at the same time giving her name away to the unnoticed dragons and riders.

"Cynder?" Murtagh asked, making Eragon notice the four of his captors.

"Where am I?" Eragon asked as he tried to reach for his magic. He found it blocked, however, and came to the conclusion that he had been drugged.

"In the Spine," Katrina answered, "Somewhere near Woadark Lake." Eragon nodded, then remembered what the two riders were trying to do.

"Where is Saphira?" He asked trying to reach out with his mind to brush against hers. He couldn't do so and he didn't know whether it was because of the drug or because she was too far away to reach.

"We don't know," Murtagh answered truthfully, "we only captured you and…Cynder. We left Saphira where she was."

Eragon looked into Murtagh's eyes for any sign of deception. "Why?" He asked.

"Well, Galbatorix commanded us to capture the rider, which is you, and the female, which was presumably Saphira. However," he said as he looked towards Cynder, "we found a different female when we arrived. Saphira, for the moment, is free from the tortures Galbatorix will force upon her, and Cynder is too small for him to do what he plans with."

"And what exactly does he plan?" Cynder spoke, startling the dragons and riders before her.

_She can talk! _Fyrenze exclaimed, leaning in to smell for magic.

"Just because you overgrown beasts can't doesn't mean I can't," she shouted as she was intruded upon by the curious dragon. "Now if you don't mind, will you stop that?!" She asked as she tried to whip her tail around to smack his snout but found that that too was bound.

_Sorry,_ he muttered as he pulled away, _I was just curious as to how you can talk. Where did you come from?_

Cynder refused to say anything as did Eragon. "It does not matter if you don't tell us now, we'll find out eventually, you won't be able to resist Galbatorix's questions." Murtagh said nonchalantly as he walked to his saddle bag and pulled out a small loaf of bread for Eragon and a few dried strips of meat for Cynder. He walked back to his prisoners and deposited them in front of the two. "As for what Galbatorix had planned for Saphira, well let's just say it takes two dragons to make eggs, and one of them has to be female."

Cynder glared at that comment, she knew exactly what he meant. At the same time, however, she was frightened. Frightened at the possibility that this Galbatorix would still try with her, despite the fact that she would need to be fully grown before she could even try to do anything, willingly or not, with the males before her.

Eragon felt her shudder by his side and he felt rage at what Galbatorix could do. "Let us go Murtagh, you know that it's wrong. Just tell him you couldn't find us."

Murtagh shook his head. "It's not as simple as that, Eragon," he said as he looked at Katrina, "we've found and captured you already. The orders Galbatorix has placed on the both of us has made it so that we now physically can't let you go. You are in our custody and until such time as you have been taken from us we can't help you in anyway, I'm sorry." With that Murtagh walked away, Thorn following shortly afterwards and the two huddled into a corner. Thorn then curled himself around Murtagh to provide warmth so he could sleep comfortably.

"I really am sorry, Eragon," Katrina said as she knelt down in front of him, "I never asked for any of this."

Eragon looked into her face, she genuinely did show remorse. "I know Katrina," he said, "It's just the thought of you working against me, I still can't help but loath you…and I'm sure Roran would disagree with me but at some point, if I escape, I will have to kill you if I can't release you from Galbatorix's control."

Katrina simply looked at him after that, ignoring the mention of Roran's name due to the heartache it caused her. "This is my dragon, Fyrenze," she said in an attempt to change the subject.

_You say you will kill her, but I won't let you. _Katrina lowered her head at the fact that her attempt failed, but then sighed in relief as he continued. _I feel I must say sorry, but not to you, but to Saphira. I do not wish to harm her or upset her in anyway, as long as you know that I hope she will understand too._ Eragon looked at him, confused at what the dragon was actually trying to say, but before he could question further both he and Katrina moved away, taking a similar position to Murtagh and Thorn.

"What are we going to do?" Cynder whispered.

Eragon shook his head, "At the moment we can't do anything, I can't use magic and we're both restrained. We'll have to wait for rescue, or for some other unexpected miracle." Eragon then closed his eyes, leaving Cynder alone. She shivered from the cold, the meagre magical fire providing little warmth. She looked back at Eragon who was also shivering and then moved closer to him.

Eragon jerked when he felt Cynder lean against him. The warmth was felt immediately, however, and he realised what she was doing. In an effort to escape the cold further he lowered himself further down towards the floor so that they could huddle together more effectively. One side of each of them was still exposed to the cold but it was more bearable now. With nothing left to do they both drifted off to sleep, hoping for something to occur that would gain them freedom.

**Well, review and tell me what you think, criticism is greatly welcomed as I have more battles planned and could do with people telling me how to improve. Also I would like to thank all my reviewers, you've all been a great help and really do keep me motivated. For those awaiting an update on 'The Future Begins' I have a week off next week so I plan on having a chapter ready by the end of that time. And for those awaiting an update for 'TLoS: The Darkness Rises' I will update soon, I made the foolish mistake of posting chapters before I knew what I was doing with it and recently I've been stuck so I've been trying to make it work as I hate it when stories disappear after I've started reading them with no ending, I assume you all hate that too. Well that's enough out of me, thanks for reading.**


	19. No Escape

**An update for this story has been long overdue, I'm sorry. Guess I've just ben finding it hard to write as of late. Anyway, enjoy.**

"Get up, it's time to go." Eragon opened his eyes groggily as Murtagh spoke. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was and a few more to realise that he still couldn't use magic. He looked to his left at Cynder who was also waking up, yawning as she did so and stretching as far as she could against her bonds.

"Murtagh, let us go," Eragon tried again, "just free us of our bonds and turn around, that way you wouldn't have physically let us go."

"Eragon, I can't. It's simply not possible, even now my orders are compelling me to push harder to get you back to Urû'baen. You have no idea how hard it was for me to even allow Thorn to rest last night. Galbatorix wants you, and he doesn't like to wait." Murtagh answered as he moved over to his equipment and began to pack it away. Katrina was doing the same whilst Fyrenze watched over her. Thorn, however, kept his eyes on Eragon and Cynder.

_Eragon, we need to get out of here. _Cynder suddenly said to him. Eragon could not answer back, however, due to his drugged state and Cynder continued. _When I make my move you tackle Murtagh, then we make a break for the exit after you've released us from our bonds. _Eragon desperately screamed 'no' inside his own head, trying to get the message across to the young dragoness but to no avail.

Thorn started when Cynder suddenly aimed her head towards him and spewed forth a dark mist from her maw. It rolled across the floor in thick globs, consuming all in its path. The strange sight made Thorn recoil and he quickly began to make his way out of the cave, knocking Murtagh over in the process. On the other side of the cave Fyrenze roared at the shadow, thinking it some kind of enemy but the substance didn't halt; only moved on, further unsettling the green dragon into fleeing like his red companion.

Murtagh was just getting up when Fyrenze bounded past him and knocked him on his backside again. He hit the floor with a slight growl of annoyance and then sprang back up with a kick of his legs. He looked to the source of the commotion and located Cynder. He stood frozen for a moment, contemplating what sort of magic she was using before he finally made his move. "Letta du súndavar!" he called out.

The shadows erupting from Cynder suddenly halted and the only thing Cynder expelled was her own breath. The shadow that had already been released then began to fade with nothing to sustain it and soon the cave was free of them. Cynder looked taken aback at how badly her plan had gone; she had not anticipated the effect Murtagh's magic would have on her. "Slytha." Murtagh then said and Cynder's vision faded as she lost consciousness.

Eragon sighed as Katrina left to retrieve the two dragons and Murtagh approached Cynder with a make shift muzzle. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to use this but if she's going to do that again it is necessary." He then began to fit the muzzle over Cynder's head, tying the straps on the top of the muzzle around the largest horns on her head and the straps underneath to the smallest horns below her jaw, making it so that she could not open her mouth. "She is not only unique in her appearance but her powers too, tell me Eragon, where did you find her?"

Eragon looked into Murtagh's eyes but said nothing. "Very well, don't tell me, but all your secrets will soon be mine as well as Katrina's. Galbatorix will undoubtedly share them with us to better prepare us for out missions against the Varden and the elves. Soon the war will be over, and Galbatorix will continue his reign." He said with a defeated tone, he was hoping that Eragon would have been able to beat them into retreat, or at least capture them.

After several minutes of trying to convince them, Katrina returned to the cave with Thorn and Fyrenze. They immediately looked at Cynder and, noticing she was muzzled, relaxed. _I have never seen such a strange sight come from a dragon, _Thorn stated, _it was like smoke but as dark as a starless night._

_I don't know about you Thorn but I am not carrying her,_ Fyrenze then said.

"Fine, we'll carry her." Murtagh then replied, much to Thorn's dismay. He hoisted Eragon over his shoulder and took him to Fyrenze who then placed him onto the saddle. "You can remain conscious Eragon if you stay still and don't try anything. You can't escape, your magic is disabled and your hands and legs are restrained. Accept it, you're defeated." Murtagh then said.

Eragon didn't respond. He knew that any escape attempt on his part would no doubt fail unless some inexplicable opportunity arose, which he also doubted. He wasn't one to accept defeat but he knew when any other action would be futile so he was content to remain compliant for the moment. He watched as Thorn approached Cynder at Murtagh's insistence and placed her on his back. Murtagh then retrieved some rope and secured Cynder properly to Thorn's back before finally collecting his pack and taking his seat in the saddle.

Katrina then retrieved her pack and helped Eragon fit the straps meant for her arms to his legs and then took her normal seat on the saddle behind Eragon, fitting her own legs into the appropriate straps. "You may find the flight different to usual, Eragon," Katrina said to him. "Fyrenze is still young and hasn't achieved the skill that Saphira undoubtedly has, especially with two people riding." Fyrenze suddenly snorted and Katrina shifted her conversation, "I was only warning him, no need to be so defensive."

With that Fyrenze left the cave, closely followed by Thorn and soon enough they were travelling over the waters of Woadark Lake. Katrina was right, Fyrenze's flight was not as smooth as it could be and he was not as wise as Saphira to catch the various updrafts and thermals to aid him in his flight. As such he shifted altitude at random moments, something that Katrina was used to but Eragon found extremely uncomfortable.

"Eragon, you know that I don't wish to do this," Katrina suddenly said. "You are like family to me through Roran and although I never knew you had a dragon with you in Carvahall I would never have wished harm upon her if I had found out." Eragon shifted uncomfortably, he didn't want to listen to her explanations. Like it or not, she was the enemy, he couldn't allow himself to feel compassion whilst captured, not even to her.

"If it was up to me I would take you straight back to your dragon and suffer her wrath but you have no idea how hard it is to resist Galbatorix's orders even to the extent we already have. Despite the wording of his orders both Murtagh and I knew he wanted Saphira, it is only through sheer will power that we defied that wish and captured Cynder instead. Because we defied his wishes we are both experiencing mind-numbing headaches which will only disappear if we go back and capture Saphira. Now, do you understand why we can't let you or Cynder go?"

Eragon realised that, but he still didn't want to accept it. "Katrina, despite what you say I will not sit here idly in silence. If an opportunity arises for my escape I shall take it, but if not I am resigned to my fate; if escape is futile I won't try, but that is for me to judge, not you." Katrina lowered her head at that as Fyrenze banked sharply to the right causing Eragon to grip harder with his legs to not fall off.

"Well we are still trying to help you, Eragon," she continued. "We want to see the empire fall too which is why we allowed Saphira to escape. If Galbatorix gets a hold of her then the Varden is doomed. He does not care for wars and territories, only Saphira so that he can create more dragons. He's mad, Eragon. He talks to himself and sleeps almost all the time, in fact Murtagh and I suspect he only wakes to give us orders."

Eragon listened intently; anything he could learn about Galbatorix now would be a huge advantage when he faced him. "I miss Roran, but if Galbatorix captures him I would doubt that he would leave me and him alone to wed and live happily. All it would do would provide Galbatorix with another method to torture me. My life is ruined, Eragon…and I'm sorry that I'm ruining yours." She then slipped into silence, any subtle sound she made lost amidst the rush of wind and constant beat of wings as Fyrenze reached the edge of the Spine and the vast open plains that made up the bulk of Galbatorix's Empire.

--

The men of the Varden quickly assembled within the walls of Belatona when the city had finally broken. The city had fallen in a timelier manner with much little effort than Feinster had, especially when the commander of Galbatorix's soldiers threw him self on his own sword, terrified of the battle before him and the tortures he would face if captured.

Of course that didn't mean the battle went without losses, quite a few of the Varden's frontmen were taken out by the unexpected archers positioned in the nearby forest, an unforeseen ambush and therefore an unavoidable one. Yet despite that the Varden managed to defeat their third city, Feinster being the second and Melian being the first, albeit taken by a separate force that had branched off from the main body of the army and remained stationed at Melian until reinforcements could arrive.

After the Burning Plains the only reason the Varden had been able to continue their campaign was because of the soldiers and men that were absorbed by the Varden's army as they captured the cities. NarGarzhvog

and his warriors of Kull and Urgals also bolstered the Varden's strength providing the weakened Varden's with a strengthened backbone sturdy enough to still pose a threat to the Empire, a threat, which for some reason, had been so far ignored by the king in person.

The Urgals had not entered the city with the rest of the human soldiers, Nar Garzhvog thinking it best that they should not frighten the city's inhabitants, something which Jörmundur and Roran agreed with. "How many of the inhabitants have agreed to join our forces?" Jörmundur asked as he and Roran stood in the centre of the city, the few remaining soldiers that refused to give in, of only ten were still alive, being prepared to be hanged behind them.

"Over three hundred by the last count, although there's a chance it's increased since then," Roran replied as he watched the last of Galbatorix's soldiers be fitted with their nooses. He didn't fancy watching the men descend to their deaths, especially as it often went wrong and their necks didn't snap as they were supposed to, resulting in an agonizingly slow death by strangulation. Just before the man in charge of the execution Roran looked away, choosing instead to stare at the wagon full of vegetables.

"I know it isn't pleasant," Jörmundur said, "but it's necessary. We don't have the resources to keep them prisoners and if we let them go they would only rejoin Galbatorix's army elsewhere and cause us further trouble in the future."

"I know that and I don't disagree with it," Roran replied, "I'd just rather not watch." He could hear, however. At least two of the men didn't die in the drop and now their struggling breaths and constricted throats were echoing between Roran's ears.

"It would help if you take your mind off it, any new information on the whereabouts of Katrina?" Jörmundur asked. He knew that was the sole reason behind Roran being here, it was also the reason why he was placed under Jörmundur's command at the behest of Nasuada. A trial period of sorts to determine whether Roran was capable of leading his own men, after all leading an entire village of people through the empire deserved some kind of merit.

"No," Roran replied. "Every agent and spy we send into the Empire never reports back once they get too close to Urû'baen. We thought we were getting some important information at one point but the message was cut short in the middle."

"Really, what did it say?"

"Well the man reported his position first, he was obviously scared for his life otherwise he would have sent the message before anything else. Then he started babbling about how we're all doomed and that Eragon doesn't stand a chance. Our magician on this side tried to calm him down but before anything more could be said our spy was killed."

Jörmundur's face darkened at that. "That doesn't sound good, especially the part about how Eragon doesn't stand a chance. Where was his position?"

"He said he was north of Urû'baen, around the same area where the rest of our spies disappear…although it was a little more north than usual."

Jörmundur frowned further, that news was considered suspicious and with the Varden spread as thin as it was they couldn't afford any disasters. "We need to double our sentries, we can't let whatever that spy was talking about catch us unawares." With that Jörmundur turned to leave, he stopped, however and looked back at Roran. "I hope the lack of reports doesn't dissuade you from your search for Katrina. I'm sure she is fine, just don't give up home."

"I don't intend to." Roran replied. He then watched Jörmundur leave before finally looking back at the ten men who had been executed. They all now dangled motionless, their gasps and twitching ceasing along with their lives. _Not the best way to go, I'd much rather die in battle. _He then watched as they were cut down from the gallows and their bodies carried to the rest of the deceased soldiers.

_--_

The city of Urû'baen wasn't exactly what Eragon was expecting. He thought that because it was the capital of the Empire and because Galbatorix resided there that it would be an extravagant city with well kept houses and streets. What was there instead startled him. The city was multi-tiered with Galbatorix's black Citadel in the very centre raised above the rest of the city. Below the citadel was a level of adequate housing estates. Eragon could see that they were well maintained yet lacked the decoration that implied people lived in them. No flowers on the window ledges, no ornaments by the door. Each house was like its neighbour, dull, uninteresting and exactly the same in almost every detail.

The tier below that, however, contained the slums, dirty streets, decrepit houses and all in all the worst living conditions Eragon had ever seen. "The majority of the inhabitants live in the slums," Murtagh explained, "they can't afford the taxes to live higher up. But even those that can afford it have difficulty, which is the reason why none of the houses are customised to its owner's preference; they simply can't afford to." Eragon paid attention to every detail, learning the layout of the city would help him greatly should he return with the Varden.

Fyrenze slowed down once he was within the city's borders, as if he seemed reluctant to reach the Citadel. _He probably is,_ Eragon mused as he noticed that Thorn did the same. Nevertheless they were fast approaching their destination and as they drew closer Eragon could make out a large opening in one of the citadel's many towers. They seemed to be heading towards that instead of the courtyard and Eragon figured that as the city once belonged to the elves it must have had some sort of dragon hold.

The two dragons circled the tower once they reached it and then descended into the column, lit partially only by the narrow glassless windows and holes in the wall. Eragon's heart began to beat at an increased rate as he realised that now there was no escape, he was in Urû'baen, in the citadel. After the few seconds of descent Fyrenze touched down on the cracked stone, the result of countless landings from previous dragons. Thorn touched down a second later and then the two dragons entered into a wide, gloomy hallway.

It stretched on for about two hundred feet before emerging into a large circular room, the roof of which rested several hundred feet above. Along the walls were holes of many sizes much like the holes in Farthen Dûr's dragon hold. This similarity made Eragon realise that this room was in fact a dragon hold. Further evidence was provided by Thorn and Fyrenze when they stopped next to two bowl shaped depressions in the floor, each lined with soft looking padding similar to the ones in Saphira's dais in their home in Ellesmera.

The two dragons climbed into those beds and crouched down. Katrina unbuckled her legs from her saddle and dismounted her dragon. She then began to unbuckle Eragon and helped him slide down Fyrenze's side to his feet. From there she guided him by his elbow to a few feet beside Thorn where Murtagh was using Magic to lower Cynder off Thorn's back to the floor at his feet. She had awoken at some point during the flight but with her movement restrained she had not been able to do anything.

She looked at Eragon when she finally reached the floor but said nothing. "As it is unbefitting for a dragon to have to be carried bound and gagged to be presented before the King I'm going to loosen your bonds." Murtagh told the black dragoness. "There is nowhere to run and using your breath attack will only result in more drastic measures being taken upon you. Losna!" He finished and the bonds on Cynder unravelled, the muzzle fixed to her loosening at the seams and falling to the floor in pieces. She stretched her jaw experimentally, showing off her impressively sharp teeth, before standing to her feet and stretching out the rest of her body.

When she finally was satisfied and sat on her haunches Murtagh and Katrina indicated for them to leave through the doors against the wall. They took one last look at Thorn and Fyrenze on their beds before leaving through the doors and entering a wide hallway. Murtagh and Katrina shut the doors behind them and then began herding Eragon and Cynder down the hallway until it branched opened into another hallway with the option to turn left or right. Murtagh told them to turn left and they did so, finding themselves stood upon a red carpet that muffled Cynder's claws which had previously clicked and echoed off the stone floor behind them.

At the far end of this hallway were two large black doors. No guards were present to signify its importance but Eragon felt that whatever was behind the door would be one of the most important events in his life. And he was being directed straight towards it. Time seemed to slow down as the door grew closer, so much so that Eragon could have sworn that the flames in the flickering lanterns seemed to freeze. When they did finally reach it Murtagh banged on the door three times. The doors swung inwards of their own accord.

The room beyond was dark, almost devoid of light save for the brief beams that entered through the slim windows in the walls a great distance apart from the next. Eragon could still make out an ominous black shape across the room from him and once again found himself being pushed towards it. With his mind still drugged, Eragon could not throw up barriers around his mind, yet despite that no presence tried to enter it. He had assumed Galbatorix would try immediately which confused him. _Maybe he isn't here,_ he thought, he couldn't actually see if there was someone sat on the throne before him.

They continued onwards towards the dark shape and Eragon began to make out more details. The throne was sat in the middle of the black form, but the area behind it seemed to be darker. It wasn't until Eragon saw it steadily rising and falling that he realised it was breathing. _Shruikan,_ Eragon realised as he was pressed on further still until he could make out the tall figure sat upon the throne.

"That isn't Saphira." Eragon flinched at the voice. He wasn't expecting the volume of it in the room they were in, nor was he expecting the smoothness of it either. Eragon could feel Murtagh and Katrina physically shake at that, he knew they were in trouble for defying Galbatorix's orders.

The Empire's riders suddenly dropped to one knee and Murtagh replied, "Ebrithil, Saphira alluded our trap and escaped capture. But we did capture this female dragon." Murtagh and Katrina remained quiet at that point, awaiting Galbatorix's response.

The king was silent for several minutes until finally, "Cynder." Cynder looked up, confused as to how he had acquired her name. "As pleased as I am that you have returned with a female she is useless to me, as is the rider without his dragon. I can't kill him; I can't use him to lure his dragon back, what information I can glean from him I probably already know."

_They aren't as useless as you think, Galbatorix._ A second voice suddenly called out. Eragon looked around the room, trying to find its source but instead found himself looking at Cynder, who was now shaking uncontrollably. _Well one of them isn't anyway. Hello, Cynder._ The voice continued_._

Eragon remained confused; he had never seen Cynder look so terrified before. He knelt down next to her. "Cynder," he whispered, "What is it, what's wrong?"

He received another bout of shaking and a slight gasp from her before she was finally able to speak, "T-Th-The Dark Master…Malefor."

**Reviews are greatly appreciated and most welcome. Thank you.**


	20. Interrogation

**Sorry about another very late chapter, but exams are in January and I'm studying like a lunatic to make sure I pass. In short, bear with me. In any case, enjoy.**

Eragon continued to look around the room for Malefor, hoping to catch a glimpse of him in the shadows but his eyes could only discern Shruikan behind Galbatorix's throne. He briefly wondered if Malefor was in fact possessing Shruikan_. No, Eragon, I am not within the dragon Shruikan. _Malefor said, revealing that he was within Eragon's mind, seeing his thoughts clearly despite the barriers he had placed around his mind as soon as he sensed Galbatorix.

_Cynder,_ he then said, making Cynder flinch, _I am glad to see you have returned to me. After I heard about what happened at Helgrind I wondered if you and the purple dragon had been found. I see now that you had and the dragon Saphira must have released you from your crystal. I am most pleased. _The fact that Malefor was pleased was what scared Cynder the most and she turned to run, crashing past Murtagh and Katrina and straight towards the doors. A brief word from Galbatorix, too low to distinguish from its echo, stopped Cynder in place and dragged her back to the spot she previously occupied, despite her constant struggling.

"Is this who you attain your power from?" Eragon asked Galbatorix, who simply turned his head from his throne to look at Eragon. "I know that you have become more powerful than any rider before you, that is how you wiped out the order and the dragons. Was it Malefor that helped you?" A maniacal laughter suddenly erupted within Eragon's head, making him flinch at the authority behind it, almost as if it was infused with magic.

_Yes, I am the one that gave him the strength to conquer those riders and their pitiful dragons. _Malefor answered. _I found him, broken and on the verge of insanity within the Spine after the death of his dragon. It didn't take much for me to nudge his mind into the direction I wanted and since then I have been pouring small portions of my energy into him._

"Why is it you do not show yourself?" Eragon asked, finding it ridiculous to talk to thin air.

_If only I could, Eragon. _Malefor replied. _My corporal body had been consumed when I combined the dragon realms into this land you now call Alagaesia. I can not focus my energy enough to reconstruct it, but I do have my plans to return and when I do every creature, living or dead, will serve me. _

"You're lying," Eragon replied. Everything Malefor had just said went against everything he had learned about the origin of Alagaesia from the elves. From what Malefor had said it would seem he was a god which Eragon just couldn't believe.

_I am not lying, Eragon. The power of a purple dragon is rival to none once it is able to grow and mature unrestricted. My teachers tried to stop me and eventually I was locked away, where my powers could only influence the minds of others rather than directly affecting them. My influence corrupted many, including Cynder, twisting her and changing her into what I required of her. Only a dragon born in the year of the dragon could free me which is why I ordered my apes to attack the dragon temple and procure Cynder's egg._

Cynder was still being held by Galbatorix's magic but Eragon could sense that she had recovered from the initial shock of facing the thing she feared most; he could still see the fear in her eyes, however. _Over the millennia, however, and looking over the events of the past few centuries I have come to realise that I have a unique opportunity before me. You see, I tried to force the dragons to bow before me and as a result I was forced to try and eradicate them. Now that they are gone and no dragon is aware of my past but Cynder and the other purple dragon, I can begin anew._

Eragon didn't like the sound of that. If he understood what Malefor was saying correctly then that meant that Malefor intended to enslave the various races of Alagaesia, which Eragon thought would definitely be worse than what Galbatorix had already done. "You can't win against the elves, dwarfs and humans, Malefor. Even the empire will oppose you once you reveal yourself and your intentions."

_On the contrary, Eragon, they will not only oppose me but the entire dragon race as well. _Eragon didn't see the threat in the very few dragons that were left as opposed to the other species that inhabited the land. Malefor sensed this and elaborated further. _The unique opportunity I mentioned is that because no one knows of my existence apart from the few in this room and two or more individuals outside, any new dragons created will be easily brought under my wing. They will serve me, and I will rule them like I intended to do in the first place. _Eragon could now see the threat. If Saphira was captured then she would be forced to mate, then any eggs she would bear would be taken and when hatched taught by Malefor. They would learn what he wanted them to and, when there was enough of them, attack Alagaesia with all the blazing fury of the dragon race.

_But first I require something from you, Eragon. _Before Eragon could stop him, although at that point his defence would probably be broken anyway, Malefor delved deep into Eragon's mind, absorbing his memories. He tried to resist but Malefor was relentless in his search.

Eragon was aware of the memories being observed by the Dark Master and he could not stop him. Oromis and Glaedr flashed before his eyes, he felt the sorrow he felt upon his death and the anger that overwhelmed him when he punched through the wall of Oromis' hut. Then it was gone, Malefor moving on to the next memory. This time it was within his tree house. Feelings of doubt erupted into his head and Eragon knew that this was the memory of the time he was unsure of himself when he was still under the shock of his parentage. He felt Saphira's presence consoling him, wished she could help him now instead of within his memories and then Malefor moved on again, although not without hesitation.

This time Malefor went straight to a memory concerning Saphira; the stone of broken eggs. Eragon saw again the scene before him of Saphira huddled against the back wall of a cave, the wound in her leg where Glaedr had attacked her fresh in his mind. Malefor played through this memory slowly, observing closely the interaction between rider and dragon and the emotions felt by both Eragon and Saphira through the link they shared. Eragon began to miss Saphira even more so as Malefor forced him to remember their most emotion filled memories. The invading mind seemed to have forgotten what it wanted and focused entirely on Eragon's interactions with Saphira.

The small and fragile looking form of Saphira after hatching burst into Eragon's mind next and he saw the momentous event that changed his life forever. He was not allowed to experience it again however as Malefor pushed past this memory and arrived straight at his bond with Saphira, much more efficiently than Eragon had been able to do with Oromis' and Glaedr's bond. Eragon grew frightened, he didn't know what Malefor planned to do and his fears intensified when Malefor began to prod at the bond, allowing Eragon to briefly feel Saphira, her thoughts, her feelings, and her body.

He was relieved when Malefor pulled away from the bond, watched the memory of the blood oath celebration and the dragon spirits that had changed his body and healed him and finally pulled out of Eragon's mind completely. _Interesting._ Was all Malefor said. Then there was silence.

Cynder had now been released from Galbatorix's magic but no longer tried to run away, realising the futility of it; she simply sat on her haunches, watching Galbatorix. Katrina and Murtagh had returned to their knees after Cynder had knocked them down and also remained still, awaiting instructions from Galbatorix. Shruikan was the only creature who did not follow the others' example, he swayed his head from side to side as he studied each of the new arrivals to the throne room, lingering on Cynder as if he wanted to say something but was prevented in doing so.

_The boy is special,_ Malefor spoke to Galbatorix exclusively._ Out of every rider's and dragon's mind I have examined none possessed a bond like this boy does with his dragon. They are linked on a much higher level than any before them._

"But what does that mean?" Galbatorix said allowed, startling everyone in the room and confusing them as to whether he was addressing one of them or not.

_It means he is more important than we first thought. When I touched his bond with Saphira he should not have been able to feel her but he did. Her very essence is linked to him and his to her, that is why they are so close, they are almost one in the same._

"It still doesn't explain its significance, so they are special, what use is that to me?"

_Nothing, _Malefor said, _but it's useful to me. If I can corrupt that bond between them and change it slightly to pass more of Saphira's essence into Eragon he'll begin to change. _

"Change?" Galbatorix asked, failing to see Malefor's point.

_Into a dragon, he'll be perfect. A dragon born from Corruption, it will be almost impossible for him to be brought back to his current beliefs. He'll ravage, he'll destroy, he'll extinguish the Varden, alongside Cynder of course. Yes, her corruption will need to be done in a different way, which is also why Eragon needs to become a dragon._

"Very well, but as I said before, I am still going to revive the dragon race. Murtagh and Katrina will resume their search for Saphira." Galbatorix said, motioning to his two riders as he spoke the last part of his sentence. They nodded their heads, stood up and then left the throne room, heading towards the dragon hold.

_And now, Eragon, Cynder, we can continue. _Malefor said. Eragon felt a sudden wave of exhaustion take over him, causing him to sway. Cynder swayed by his side and collapsed forwards, Eragon collapsing sideways on top of her a fraction of a second later. _Two servants, _Malefor continued, _that will serve me without question, carrying out my will. And they will provide me with more dragons to corrupt and make my slaves._

_--_

The waves crashed against the cliffs, blasting spray and foam into the air as Saphira came in for a landing. The water sat on her scales, causing the light that hit them to warp and cast striking blue light upon the ground as she descended towards it. To any onlooker she would have appeared to be glowing with every shade of blue imaginable, shear beauty and ferocity contained within one creature, a creature that had lost the one most dear to its heart.

The ground shook slightly as she landed, several slates sliding off the cliff top and falling into the ocean a hundred feet below. Before she had landed she had observed the island of Vroengard and understood why the riders had used it. The entire island had no beach, no boats could moor at the island meaning the only way to get onto it was by flight, which of course only the dragons could do.

After Spyro jumped down from Saphira's back they both shook, water flying in all directions as it was thrown from their scales, their tails giving a flick as they finished. Sparx dangled from between Spyro's horns where he had held on for his life whilst he shook. Spyro noticed the dragonfly and muttered an apology which was replied with a quiet groan.

Saphira inhaled deeply with her snout high in the air. _This place is laced with scents, mostly dragons but there are many mixed among them,_ she sniffed again, _especially death. _She then began to move off north, examining the area around her. Spyro watched her for a second, then followed, not wanting to be left behind.

They walked for an hour before they found anything of interest, an enormous plant with a bell flower on its top. Saphira and Spyro stared at it, awed by its size; it stood at three times the height of Saphira and she was certain she would be able to fit inside the flower, the stem included. Sparx flew to the mouth of the flower and immediately flew back down. "It stinks!" He exclaimed, as he flew to a group of daisies and began to inhale their scent deeply to rid the awful stench of the monstrous flower.

"I don't know," Spyro replied, as he sniffed the air, "it smells sort of…nice." Sparx looked up at him, dumbfounded.

_It does have it's charms,_ Saphira admitted as she too took in the scent.

"You dragon's are insane," Sparx shouted, "it smells worse than all your dung combined, it's disgusting." Saphira and Spyro continued to disagree and Sparx gave up with a sigh. He stared at the disgusting plant with distaste until he saw the stem bulge and move slightly before returning to normal. "Did you see that?" He asked, flying over to Spyro and pointing to the area he saw move.

"See what?" Spyro asked before the stem bulged again, this time remaining swollen.

Saphira stepped towards it and tapped it with her snout. She left an impression behind which soon smoothed over. _There's something in there,_ She said, _I felt it move when I pressed against it._

"Cut it open then, let's see what's inside." Spyro said to her. She complied and lifted a claw to the swelling. She then punctured it and with a swift motion downwards tore a gash into the plant's stem. A green, translucent liquid flowed out of the tear until something white covered up the hole. "What's that?" Spyro asked again before the tear grew in size and formed a giant split in the stem.

A river of the green fluid spewed forth and Saphira and Spyro jumped back to avoid it. Then the sound of clicking and banging sounded as a pile of skeletons fell out of the plant and landed in a mound on the floor. The plant sagged and fell on its side as Saphira roared in fear. _Dragon bones!_ She exclaimed, _This thing eats dragons!_

The bones were an assortment of human and dragon remains, each of the dragons being different sizes but all smaller than Saphira's. Several dragon skulls could be seen, at least four dragons had fallen victim to the plant which had not finished digesting in the past century since dragons had last been on the island. Several scales still clung to the few scraps of flesh that remained on the bones, red, green, orange and blue.

"I thought nothing preyed on dragons," Spyro said, deeply disturbed by the collection of bones before him.

_So did I but I've never been to this island before, this plant definitely doesn't exist on the mainland. _Saphira replied. _They say this island contains all sorts of dangerous and strange flora and fauna. _Saphira tore her gaze from the dragons' remains and looked at the horizon. She counted at least five more plants just like the one before them, some were larger though, and one was her size.

As she contemplated, Spyro felt vibrations beneath his feet. Not long after that the ground was broken several feet from him and several large insects crawled out of the earth. Without hesitation he sprang into the air and began to fly, closely followed by Saphira who noticed the insects as they emerged.

"What are those?" Spyro asked as the spider-like insects swarmed over the bones and carcass of the plant and began to devour them.

_I have no idea and I don't intend to find out. _Saphira replied._ From now on we're flying, this island is too dangerous to sit idly on the ground._ She then began to fly north, leaving behind the troubling scene, Spyro following shortly afterwards. They flew at a steady pace, not wanting to miss any clue to the Chronicler's whereabouts with the smell of dragons growing stronger as they neared Doru Araeba.

"Have you managed to sustain your ice breath yet, Saphira?" Spyro asked, trying to relieve his boredom. Saphira's response was to let loose a stream of frigid air, clearly visible as it mixed with the warmer air around it.

_Not yet, but I can feel each time I do so it grows colder. _She said as she tried again, inhaling through her nostrils and letting the air out of her maw once again. This time frost coated her teeth and the tip of her snout as small snowflakes flittered out from her throat. She snorted with frustration and tried again. This time, however, a glacial wind blew forth from her mouth, snowflakes abundant in hundreds within the breath and drops of ice falling from the sky as the water in the air was frozen.

Saphira roared in joyful triumph as she let loose another ice breath. Spyro smiled behind her and watched as she swooped down to the river below them and freeze a bridge across it. He sped up to fly parallel with her and began to snort. Saphira looked at him strangely and he opened his mouth and spat out a frozen glob of saliva at a tree below. The glob travelled at a high velocity until it collided with the tree, exploding on contact and freezing the tree, and a few yards of grass around it, solid.

_How did you do that?_ Saphira asked as she stared in awe at the tree.

"There's many things you can do with your breaths once you've mastered them. All I did then was use my ice breath when I spat, it creates an ice bomb." He explained, "You can do almost anything once you get good at it, like creating blades of ice along your tail or a wall of ice in front of you to use as a shield."

_Well although I'm sure there would have been a better way to describe it, _Saphira said, _it does sound like a very useful technique to master. _At that Saphira began to snort and then spat out at another tree. The only result was a tree covered in slime, the few birds that had been nesting in it squawking with alarm. _Looks like I need more practice. _She simply said, causing Spyro to laugh.

It was then that Saphira noticed a few sparse buildings around them, crumbled towers, pillars standing alone, and the occasional ruined walls. _We must be nearing Doru Araeba,_ She said to Spyro who nodded in return.

The smell of dragon had become stronger and one in particular scent distinguished itself above the rest; it was fresh. _I think I can locate the Chronicler, there's a fresh scent here._ She commented as they approached what appeared to be Doru Araeba. Ruined buildings and scattered bones littered the area. Although some buildings still stood they were dull and lifeless, all valuables stripped from them and taken by either Galbatorix or the Forsworn.

Many of the dragon's bones had began to decompose but those that had fallen on stone rooftops or in the sparse sand beds still lay there, the stray arrow or the sword responsible for their deaths still within ribcages or embedded into the bones themselves. Saphira gave these bones a large berth, not wanting to disturb the final resting places of her fellow species as did Spyro. "What happened here?" Spyro asked as he looked around.

Saphira hissed a reply, _This is where Galbatorix destroyed the riders and their dragons. Countless of our race were killed when they refused to bow before Galbatorix, who knows how many corpses are scattered across this island._ She then began to explore the ruins of Doru Araeba. Sparx stayed close to Spyro, not wanting to venture too close to the bones; putting it down to his experience in he well of souls when he and Spyro went to rescue Cynder.

Saphira, on the other hand, had no such fear. She examined the corpses, not actually touching them but sniffing at them, curious as to what her body will eventually end up as. It was then that the scent she was following intensified. She looked up and found herself between two large archways. In front of her was a large pile of bones, but not those of dragons, and they were not whole bones, but rather crushed and broken.

Saphira noticed that the bones were laced with the scent of the dragon she was tracking and called Spyro over to her. However, as soon as she opened her mind and reached out to the purple dragon a ferocious roar rocked the area. Saphira instantly roared a challenge in return and the sound of crashing and banging answered, shortly followed by a plume of dust as one of the archways toppled over.

In it's place stood a snow-white dragon, twice the size of Saphira. It looked down at Saphira, who had dropped into a submissive stance after she saw the size of the beast, and quickly pounced on her. "We're all going to die, we're all going to die!" Sparx began shouting as Spyro ducked under the swishing, white tail as it swept the area.

_This is my island! _A feminine voice shouted into the area, _What are you doing here, dragon?_

Saphira struggled against the grip the dragoness had upon her but she couldn't escape, especially after her neck was placed between the other dragonesses jaws. _I am Saphira Bjartskular, bonded to Eragon Shadeslayer, who are you? _She asked, hoping that the more powerful dragoness wasn't about to kill her.

_I am Rhaxma, last of the wild dragons and daughter to Vervada and __Iormúngr._

**I am aware that the chapter title isn't brilliant but it will do for now. I've read Brisingr now and completed Dawn of the Dragon for those who are curious. Very good endings for each especially DotD, fully recommended. I was really disappointed with my reviews for Chapter 51 of The Future Begins, nowhere near the number I expected. Please keep reviewing, your feedback is one of the reasons why I'm still doing this (but not the only reason), I can't improve unless you tell me where I'm going wrong so please review and tell me what you think.**


	21. Family

**Well here's the chapter as promised and despite the lateness, 'Happy Birthday Psyclone'. 'The Legend of Spyro: The Darkness Rises' shall be updated tomorrow but for now enjoy.**

_I'll ask you again, what are you doing here, and pray you're answer satisfies me? _The great dragoness growled as she tightened her jaws around Saphira's neck. When no answer was forthcoming she spoke again, _I warn you, Saphira Bjartskular, I have no quarrels with killing you. I know how dangerous the mainland can be and I will not give up this island without a fight._

Saphira was in shock, not only was she not the last female dragon of her time, but the dragoness that could kill her at any moment claimed to be of the same parentage as her, which meant that if it was true, Rhaxma was her sister. Another tooth broke her scales and slipped further into her flesh causing Saphira to snap out of her disbelief. _Release me and I shall tell you what you want to know._

Rhaxma growled deeply, _Do not play me for a fool, you will be in a position to rip into my throat as soon as I let go of yours. My only option is to kill you and then regrettably your hatchling._

"I'm not her hatchling," Spyro suddenly spoke up, startling the great, white dragoness. "Now please, we aren't here to hurt you, let her go" Despite his perceived bravery he was clearly shaking, the dragoness could quite simply stand on him if she so pleased. He flinched when he saw her muscles ripple but no resounding foot stomp was forthcoming.

_Speak, and quickly, I want to know what you want and where he came from. _Rhaxma said as she let go of Saphira and motioned towards Spyro with her head.

Although she was in a prime position to incapacitate Rhaxma, Saphira had no intention to do so. She slid out from beneath the greater dragon and stretched her neck, feeling the minor wounds inflicted on her flex. _We're here to search for a dragon known as the Chronicler, _she answered. _And this is Spyro, it's hard to explain but he's not from this time, he's from a past so distant that time has forgotten it. _She wanted to question Rhaxma on her parentage but thought it best to wait until she wasn't a potential threat.

_The Chronicler is a strange dragon, he doesn't just accept visitors, in fact it's doubtful you'll even be allowed in to his residence. _Rhaxma replied as she turned her back and made her way over the rubble she had created when she toppled the archway. Saphira and Spyro looked at each other when her tail had disappeared from sight and then followed her.

When they turned the corner they saw the white flash of a tail as it disappeared into a hollow in the floor. Several scrapes of claws on stone could be heard and then Rhaxma's head emerged. _You're welcome to come inside; there should be enough room for you. _Her head once again disappeared.

"Do you think it's safe to?" Spyro asked, "I mean she did try to kill you only five minutes ago"

Saphira rumbled slightly, _We don't really have a choice; she seems to know where the Chronicler lives so we have to ask her. Plus there's something else I want to clear up too. _With that she began to make her way towards the concave leaving Spyro behind and slightly confused until he ran after her.

The hollow dipped downwards into the earth but the ground wasn't dirt. Instead it was the stone slabs that made the street that the hollow receded into. Saphira ventured downwards cautiously, the slope slowly levelling out until she was walking underneath the street above. She could feel the heat radiating from further on, obviously the burrow insulated Rhaxma's body heat well. After a gradual turn to the left she emerged into a large cavern with Rhaxma lay in the middle of it on a nest of what appeared to be very old tapestries and cloth.

_Well as you can see, this is where I live. _Rhaxma stated as Saphira looked around and Spyro arrived behind her. _Since I was born I've always lived here, making it bigger as I grew, which is why it stretches on for so long from the entrance. Well make yourselves comfortable. _With that Rhaxma pulled a few tattered pieces of cloth from her nest and threw them in Saphira's and Spyro's direction.

Saphira looked down at the rags. _Before we do that, I'm sorry I have to ask, you tried to kill me before._

Rhaxma snorted. _I did that only to see if you were a threat, clearly you aren't so I can afford to offer a little hospitality, at least until I grow tired of your company. Living alone isn't always preferable. That said I have no idea what the alternative feels like so I can't really compare it. _With that answer Saphira seemed satisfied. She arranged the cloth into two piles, one for her and one for Spyro and then lay down on them. Spyro hesitated at first, the scent given off by them assaulting his nostrils but he eventually overcame it and lay down.

_You know the Chronicler don't you? _Saphira asked when she was comfortable. Rhaxma nodded and then examined Saphira's body, taking in the curves and spines. _Can I help you? _Saphira asked when she grew uncomfortable under the gaze.

_I'm sorry, it's just I've never seen another dragon like me before…you just look…I don't know how to explain it…familiar. But I guess all dragons pretty much look the same. _Saphira was about to reply but hesitated, if she asked now it might take some time before they could get back on to the subject of the Chronicler again.

_Well I can't say for certain, I've only ever met male dragons before and they looked different to me, broader shoulders and larger muscles. From what I've seen it looks like dragons are destined to be specific to one attribute, one male dragon seemed built for physical prowess and another seemed to lean more towards ferocious and deadly attacks and a third looked to be a general all-rounder. _

_And you are lithe and have particularly powerful wing muscles, obviously a flyer but not without a particularly noticeable level of strength. _Saphira seemed startled that Rhaxma could guess that but the greater dragon explained. _I may have lived alone for almost a century but I still know how to recognise muscle structure when I see it. It isn't hard to gauge a dragon's strengths and weaknesses from their body type. But please, tell me more of these males you have met, is one of them yours? _

Saphira could feel the longing behind the question; Rhaxma craved a companion. _No, I do not have a male, and I don't believe any would be suitable for you. Two of them would be my size and in service to the king, there is of course the king's black dragon and then there is one more who is unlikely to take a mate. I'm sorry._

Rhaxma looked away for a brief second before looking back at Saphira, _I expected as much, I guess you're arrival here just uncovered some long buried hopes. Now, why is it you want to see the Chronicler, I didn't think anyone new of his existence, he usually keeps to himself? _

"We need to see him so we can find our friends," Spyro answered, causing all eyes to fall on him. "I've met him before and I know that he knows all dragons' futures. Please, tell us where to find him." Rhaxma studied the small purple dragon, perplexed by his ability to speak aloud.

_I can take you to see him; he lives near the centre of the island in a great temple beneath the stone. It's always cold in there, the ground is ice and the water that flows beneath the island surrounds the temple and gains an eerie blue glow. But as I said before, there is no guarantee he'll see you. I myself have only seen him three times._

Unable to contain herself any longer Saphira asked what was preying on her mind. _Rhaxma, you said before you're dam and sire was Vervada and Iormúngr, how do you know that? _The sudden change in topic threw Rhaxma slightly but she quickly recovered.

_The Chronicler told me. The first time I met him was not long after I hatched, he cared for me for a brief period until I was able to live on my own, and he told me who my parents were. _Saphira nodded and Spyro and Rhaxma waited for her to continue.

_I'm a rider's dragon; my egg was given to the dragon riders where I remained until I hatched two years ago. I recently learned the names of my dam and sire from the last remaining dragon with that knowledge other than the Chronicler. I'm you're sister. _

_I know, _was Rhaxma's reply.

_You knew!? _Saphira exclaimed. _And doesn't that mean anything to you? I mean, I thought I was alone in this land, no ancestors or family to speak of, let alone a mate worthy enough of me. And from how you said that I looked familiar but didn't explain any further I assumed you didn't know I was your sister._

_Well I assumed you would recognise my scent. _Rhaxma explained. _All dragons can recognise family by scent; as soon as you arrived I knew you were family._

"Then why did you attack her?" Spyro asked, thoroughly perturbed by the entire situation.

_Just because she is my sister doesn't mean she isn't a threat. I've never met her before therefore making her a stranger. There is no family tie between us except our blood. Quite frankly there is nothing stopping me from killing her where she lays just for the fun of it if I wanted to._

_How could you say that? _Saphira asked, visibly hurt by the remark. _If there is one thing I've learnt from my rider is that family is important. Even though his own brother is trying to kill him he doesn't want to have to kill him in return. And the mental anguish he has gone through over his parentage, it makes him doubt his very being and his past exploits. I would have thought family would have meant something to you, you who is a member of the most honoured race in all of Alagaesia._

_Saphira, _Rhaxma replied coolly, _you have spent too much time in the company of humans and elves. _Saphira stared intently at her sister, awaiting a more detailed explanation. _Family is important, but only if that family has been raised together. You forget that I am a wild dragon, no mortal morals or ethics have been imprinted into my consciousness. Yours and mine beliefs are one in the same in many respects but they are viewed differently in just as many others. Given time I am sure we could form a strong family bond between us. I like you, your personality strikes a chord with my own, but until such time a bond is formed you are just a stranger, I'm sorry._

_Then you are a stranger. _Saphira replied coldly. She didn't think what Rhaxma had said to her would make her respond as she did, but she truly did feel something when Rhaxma had revealed her parentage to be the same as her own. She had no one's experiences to reflect on other than Eragon's and looking at how he was driven by emotions tied to his family she compared Rhaxma to the likes of Roran and Garrow.

Rhaxma, on the other hand, was hardly affected at all. She had lived her entire life in solitude and cared very little about what Saphira was feeling, but not by choice. Without companionship her social skills were far from adequate and although she could count on her instincts to give her a sense of compassion it was no where near as developed as someone's who had lived in the company of others. The only thing she knew of compassion would be to kill an animal in severe pain, which usually resulted in an easy meal.

It was only Spyro who comprehended the situation fully. Being an independent observer he could see how Saphira had been affected and how Rhaxma had hurt her. But he could also see things from Rhaxma's point of view; isolation did have its downsides and he just witnessed one of them. At some point he realised he would have to act as a go-between, he had learned that dragons from this age could be incredibly stubborn and he doubted that either of the two examples before him would approach the other in apology.

He also knew attempting it now would be foolish so did the only thing he could do; move on. "Rhaxma, could you please take us to the Chronicler now," he asked, hoping that the urge to find Eragon would take priority in Saphira's already troubled mind. "The two that we want him to help us locate are in the clutches of Galbatorix. One of them is her rider and the other is a dragon like me, we have to get to them as soon as possible before something bad happens to them."

Rhaxma looked up, she had been licking the dirt from her claws after her botched family reunion but she had been listening. _Of course, if we leave now we can be at the catacombs that lead to the temple by sunrise. _Spyro looked at the light entering from the opening of the cavern and could see it's intensity waning. _I know what your plan is, because one of your friends is a dragon you are hoping the Chronicler can tell you its future and you will be able to cross paths with them. _Spyro nodded. _You may not like what he tells you. I have argued with the Chronicler on my brief visits to him about the future and every time he wins. The present is on a constant path to the future and unless you are in your friend's future as the Chronicler views it, you will not be able to intercept them, no matter how much you try. _

_If Eragon is with Cynder in Cynder's future and it is seen that they will be in the middle of Alagaesia completely alone yet we are not viewed there also, _Saphira started, _I will make it my business to break the flow of the present and make myself cross Cynder's path at that time. _With that, Saphira rose to her feet and moved out.

_Her will is strong. _Rhaxma commented as she rose to her feet also. _But time is inevitable; if she isn't present in the Chronicler's tomes when your friends are in a position to be rescued then she won't be able to rescue them, no matter how hard she tries. _Spyro was then left alone as Rhaxma exited to follow Saphira. He found himself thinking upon the last time he had met the Chronicler.

"_Her entire life has been spent in shadow. She knows no other way. And when the Dark Master returns…she will concede. No one can resist the temptation…not even the strongest among us." _Once again a thought came to Spyro, the very same thought that had entered his mind when The Chronicler first told him Cynder's fate.

"I don't believe that."

--

_He knows the threat to his seat of power; he's not going to simply let you replace him without any form of a fight. _Malefor stated as Galbatorix was forced to duck behind a row of pillars and into an alcove. Shruikan roared ferociously when he couldn't reach the King physically and let loose a jet of flames that was deflected harmlessly by Galbatorix's wards.

"Stupid beast!" Galbatorix roared back, "Know your master!" Shruikan ignored the command, a black aura beginning to envelope the dragon as he mindlessly tried to pull away the pillars to gain a better vantage point to rend his target limb from limb. "You knew this was going to happen didn't you?" Galbatorix asked as he began to weave together a spell to temporarily incapacitate the great dragon.

_It was a possibility, yes. _Malefor admitted, _The nature of the corruption causes one to seek out threats to their power and neutralize them. Because Eragon and Cynder are being prepared to receive the same powers he has he knows that they could effectively replace him so is now trying to remove them. He's only attacking you because you are trying to prevent them entering their chamber._

Galbatorix cast his spell causing Shruikan to falter. But he didn't come to a stop like Galbatorix wanted him to. Instead he simply slowed down, as if the time around Shruikan had been affected rather than his muscles. Despite the outcome of the spell Galbatorix took advantage of it and made for cover, only to narrowly avoid being ripped asunder as Shruikan broke the spell holding him and slashed out where Galbatorix had been standing.

_Why not just kill him and be done with it?_ Malefor asked as the King made his way to a spiral staircase and began to climb. Unfortunately the staircase led to Eragon and Cynder's chamber and Shruikan continued his onslaught. _You will soon have two new servants who can perform better together than Shruikan ever could alone, why put yourself through the hassle?_

"Because I refuse to be the one directly behind another dragon's death." He replied as he came to a halt just before Shruikan's clawed hand smashed through the staircase wall right where Galbatorix would have been if he hadn't stopped. "Can't you make him stop?"

_I can, but I take it you want me to do it without killing him, correct?_

"Exactly, just do it!" Shruikan ripped at the hole in the stone work until he could clearly see Galbatorix. The black aura had enveloped the great dragon whole and his eyes were pupiless, glowing an eerie white as they appeared to focus on the comparatively insignificantly sized human. Another roar split Galbatorix's ears as the dragon shot forwards, preparing to swallow the human who could do nothing but brace himself for his slow and undoubtedly painful death.

But the death never came. He removed his arm that had been covering his eyes and gazed out into the open space. Shruikan was simply gone. "Where is he?" He asked.

_Somewhere else, _was the only reply he received.

"That much is obvious, but where?" He continued to ask, making his way onwards, up the staircase and onto a landing that didn't look like it was about ready to crumble beneath his feet.

_Does it really matter where? You asked me to stop him without killing him and that's what I did. He isn't dead if that's what you're worried about but he is no longer your servant. _

"So basically the dragon that has helped me rule this land for over a century is gone, and you won't tell me where," Galbatorix summarised as he heard various shouts and the sound of whips on the lower floor; his servants were quick to respond to damage to the castle.

_How astute of you to come up with that by yourself. _Malefor commented, his voice dripping with sarcasm. _If you really need to know details on Shruikan's location there is a lot of sand and it's rather hot._

"You do not need to be so condescending, a name would have sufficed but now that I know he's in the Hadarac I at least know that it'll take time for him to make his way back here if he still wishes to destroy me." The landing he was on had only one staircase, the one he had come from. It also had no windows meaning that the only light that was available was provided by the sparse lanterns that adorned the far spaced walls.

That, coupled with the fact the smoke from the lanterns had no where to go, save for the thin groves between stone, gave the entire area a dark and foreboding sensation. Those that were to walk through this eerie atmosphere gained a suspicion that whatever was on the other side of the door embedded into the wall at the far end of the landing was not pleasant.

It wasn't until Galbatorix had walked half the distance that he could see the door through the smoke, which threatened to choke him as he breathed it in and the harsh taste of it burned his throat and made his eyes sting. _Perhaps not putting windows in is a design flaw you might wish to rectify. _Malefor commented as Galbatorix was forced to cast a spell to filter the air entering his lungs and protect his eyes.

"The atmosphere is meant to play on people's minds," Galbatorix replied. "Anyone that comes up here is not going to be having a pleasant life. Plus the sound of a man choking is not going to be unheard by the lower levels, anyone who is up here will be located and imprisoned long before any rescue can be made."

_Well storing Cynder and Eragon in your personal torture chamber isn't necessary. They are in no position to do anything but lay where they are, you could have left them in your courtyard and they wouldn't have moved. _Galbatorix reached the door and placed his hand on the grip, the magic infused into it recognising Galbatorix's touch and unlocking the door.

"I like the sense of security it provides." He then twisted the handle and opened the door, a harsh purple light diffusing through the smoke and illuminating the entire area. The light was only present in the smoke filled room for a few brief seconds, the time needed for Galbatorix to cross the threshold of the door and close it with a resounding _'click' _as it locked itself.

A few more seconds of standing idly was necessary for his eyes to adjust to the sudden change of illumination but after that Galbatorix made his way to the two separate cages in the corner of the room. Both were large enough to hold dragons of the same size as Shruikan, but the space that was needed was far less than was available as Cynder and Eragon lay in the centre of both cages.

The purple light was being cast by a strange crystal of unknown composition; all Galbatorix knew was that Malefor had told him where to acquire it from and that it was vital in the corrupting of others. He found himself staring at the formation, the light captivating him and the strange sparks of black lightning crackling on the surface leaving afterimages behind his eyes.

_Staring at the crystal is not advised, Galbatorix. _Malefor interrupted causing Galbatorix to snap out of his trance. He then looked into the cages, both the inhabitants being bathed in the radiation from the crystal. _I often wonder how the dreams they experience change their souls. I can only find out after the corruption has been completed, I'm eager to learn just how Eragon's mindset changes and Cynder's, now that she's experienced freedom for a time._

**I apologise for the incredible lack of updates for this story and for those of you who haven't been tempted enough to visit my deviantART, page who's link can be found in my profile, and those who do not read 'The Future Begins' I'll explain now. I have recently gone through a month of exams and have used all my free time to revise rather than write, I'm sure you understand. I must also apologise for the quality which doesn't seem to be as good as I would like, it just seems to be lacking something that I can't quite put my finger on. I guess that's what happens when you don't write for over a month. In any case I plan to update more frequently now and would like to thank those who have reviewed up to this point, I really do enjoy reading feedback, especially criticism if it's constructed well, not like some anonymous reviewer did for my Spyro story and reviewed with one word; 'crap'. Sufficed to say I removed the review, why waste my time and your own? Well that's all for now I think, and I promise that future chapters will have much shorter Author's notes, I swear it.**


	22. The seeds of Corruption

**I wasn't kidding when I said I'd update more often. Enjoy my longest and darkest chapter yet!**

The Dark crystal flashed as Galbatorix studied his prisoners in their cages. They seemed to stir but soon settled down again.

--

When Eragon awoke he found himself in a dark and depressing room. He flexed his muscles experimentally and then laboured to get up, as if he hadn't walked in days and his muscles had grown accustomed to being left idle. He then began to inspect his room.

The walls were a dark, cold, stone, many of the huge bricks that had been used in its construction had a fine layer of mildew upon them; wherever he was he assumed keeping the rooms in a good condition were not a high priority. The smell of decay was ripe in the air, mixes of excrement and other foul smelling substances invading his nostrils and clinging to his nose hairs, refusing to provide him with a respite from the smell even if he covered his nose. It wasn't until he noticed the shackles on the walls did he realise he must be in one of Urû'baen's many dungeons.

Upon making the realisation, Eragon was suddenly hit by a series of hunger pains. He almost bowled over as his stomach lurched in protest of being in such an empty state. He managed to catch himself, however, and pulled himself upright by the door, smiling at the fact that if he was that hungry he must not have been fed in a substantial amount of time, more than enough to allow any drugs in his body to have worked their way out of his system.

He reached into his mind and felt the barrier between him and his magic, placed his hand on the door and muttered the word for 'open' in the ancient language. The door clicked in response and opened slightly, causing a thin sliver of light to pour in from a torch outside of the crack. Happy with the results Eragon pushed the door open and strode out into the doorway.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be out here, who unlocked you're door?" A man suddenly called out behind Eragon. He cursed himself for not checking with his mind for guards before opening the door and then immediately threw himself at the man, the unexpected attack catching the man off guard. The struggle was brief, Eragon managed to deliver a blow right to the guards nose, shattering the bone and sending fragments of it upwards, leaving the man dead on the floor.

Not wanting to leave evidence of his escape and risking early capture, Eragon dragged the body into the room he had broken out of, stealing the man's sword before leaving again and re-locking the door. This time he gave quick thrusts of his mind down each of the dark hallways; he felt no more guards on the way to investigate the disturbance.

He did, however, feel a familiar presence in one of the adjacent rooms to his own, a faint flicker of consciousness. He approached the door that the presence was concealed behind and opened it, only to find Cynder on a bed of hay in the corner of the room. She was bound by thick chains, preventing her from opening her wings or moving her tail. Her legs were all shackled together and a thick, leather muzzle was placed over her snout, simply allowing her to breathe through her nostrils.

She opened her eyes as Eragon entered the room and moved towards her. When she focused on him she tried to say something but the muzzle distorted it to a mere mumble. He quickly began to unlock the chains, the clinking and clanging causing him to cast his mind out into the hallway to make sure no one was coming to inspect the noise. When he finally had her free of the muzzle Cynder stretched, her bones cracking as they returned to their more comfortable states and she stretched and flexed her jaw.

Before she could say anything Eragon spoke to her mentally,_ We have to be quiet, we can't risk being discovered._

_Ok,_ she replied, _but please, Eragon, get me out of here, I have to get away from Malefor._ Eragon nodded, that's what he intended to do, but he was going to do one thing first, he wouldn't get another chance like it again.

He checked the hallways again and then motioned for Cynder to follow. They emerged into the hallway and made their way hopefully in the right direction. It wasn't long until they came to another door, this one unlocked. Eragon pushed against it and it opened, revealing a large chamber with a thick, red carpet flowing from each of the doors and archways.

There were no patrolling guards present, something that Eragon thought odd but he didn't complain, all it meant that his exploring of the castle would go undetected. He began to skirt along the wall to a staircase when Cynder spoke to him. _Wouldn't it make more sense to have the exit there? _She asked, pointing to the large archway with her tail in the opposite direction of the staircase.

Eragon sighed, _Cynder, I'll never get another opportunity to kill Galbatorix again; if I let this chance slip through my fingers then the Varden may never win this war._

Cynder looked up at Eragon, fear in her eyes, _But you said you'd get me out of here._

_And I will_, Eragon reassured, _as soon as I get rid of the greatest threat this land has ever seen. _With that he looked away from Cynder and continued on to the staircase. The black dragoness looked after him, then to the exit and then finally back at Eragon, deciding that her best chance of escape was with him, even if it did mean increasing their chances of being discovered together.

Eragon figured that Galbatorix would be in his throne room, asleep, as Katrina had said he often did. He was hoping to catch the black king during one of his unconscious states and slit his throat before he could awaken.

The carpet beneath his feet muffled his footsteps as he began to ascend the stairs. From his studies in Ellesméra he had learnt that throne rooms were always on the upper levels of a castle in case the castle came under siege; it would be much easier to defend that way. But even with that knowledge he still didn't know exactly where the throne room was, having being taken straight from the dragon hold to the room when he first visited it.

So when Eragon emerged onto the stone at the top of the staircase he thanked the stars that there, to the left of him, was the hallway that had led in the opposite direction he had taken when he had been taken from the dragon hold when Murtagh and Katrina had first brought Cynder and himself to the castle.

He once again checked the hallways with his mind, the lack of guards continuing to increase Eragon's confidence and then quickly moved to that hallway. From there he could remember where the Throne room was and when Cynder finally caught up with him he entered the hallway. He passed the opening on his left that would eventually emerge into the dragon hold and continued straight ahead until he was once again stood on the red carpet that led to the large black oak doors that concealed the Throne room.

He stopped before he reached the door, turning to Cynder who looked at him worriedly. _It has to be done, Cynder_,he said. _If not he will only come after us._ He then cast spells around himself and Cynder to muffle any sounds they would make beyond the door and then carefully pushed against the heavy doors.

They opened without a sound and suddenly all was quiet, Eragon could have heard a leaf fall if there was one nearby. His steps were soundless, the spell he had cast working better than he could have expected. He peered into the darkness at the throne at the far end of the room, the moonlight that shone in through the sparse windows far from adequate to reveal the condition of the one in the throne. _Well if he's seen me then I have nothing else to lose._

He ventured forth, Cynder following by his side and as he approached Galbatorix began to be recognisable in the chair. He was sleeping, Eragon could tell because his head was slumped on his chest and the sound of deep breathing suddenly came to his ears. Despite the spell keeping him quiet Eragon still began to be more careful with his steps, as if one wrong move would awaken the king and render his assassination attempt a failure.

He then couldn't believe how far he had come. He was right next to Galbatorix's chair, the king at his mercy. He drew the sword that he had stolen, the sound of the metal sliding out of its sheath also silent thanks to his spell. Eragon licked his lips as the moment appeared to play in slow motion. He carefully placed his empty hand upon Galbatorix's brow and lifted his head up slightly, just enough to slide his sword in the gap between his chin and his chest.

Eragon was surprised that the harsh coldness of the blade hadn't woken the king but again he didn't complain. He took a deep breath to prepare himself, taking in the situation fully before him. Cynder's presence was well known to him, her breath caught in her throat as the moment of the king's death was at hand. _It's finally over, _he thought, his hand steady with the blade. _Finally I'll never be asked to put others before me for the good of Alagaesia, Galbatorix will be gone and I'll never have to worry about him again._

Hot blood flowed forth from Galbatorix's neck as Eragon slid the sword across it. The King's eyes shot open and he tried to speak, unable to due to the gaping wound in his throat. His hands went to his neck, clutching the wound and smearing his blood down his arms. Eragon watched as he fell forwards on to the cold floor. He twitched and rolled, the terrible gurgling of air bubbling through the ruby liquid that was now staining the polished stone.

As the king drew his last breath, the horrifying death rattle disturbing Cynder's ears, the missing guards suddenly smashed through the black doors. They stormed in through the entrance and arranged themselves in lines, a large berth being given to the pool of blood slowly forming around the corpse of Galbatorix. What they did next startled Eragon; they all bowed before him, pledging their allegiance to Eragon Kingslayer, the new ruler of Alagaesia.

"But I don't want to be king," Eragon began to say but Cynder interrupted.

"Of course you do, Eragon," She said as she moved to stand in front of him, placing her forepaws on the body of the King. "It's all you've ever wanted. All your life you've been doing things for other people, placing their needs above your own." Eragon shook his head but Cynder ignored him. "Think about it, what would have happened if Saphira hadn't taken you from your uncle's home? You may have been able to save him from the Ra'zac. And what would have happened should you have ignored Ajihad's command that Murtagh was a traitor and so should be locked away? You could have demanded that he be released or you and Saphira would have left. That way Murtagh would have never been taken to the King and Hrothgar would still be alive."

Eragon found that Cynder's words did in fact make sense. He had wanted to decide what he wanted to do with his life for a very long time, not have someone do it for him. "Take your throne that you have so rightfully earned and you will never be forced to do anything ever again." Cynder continued, "With Saphira by your side you can easily quell the Varden and the rebellious elves and unify them under one rule; yours."

Eragon sat down upon the throne, enjoying the seat of power he had taken for himself. What Cynder was saying struck a chord with him. He could rule Alagaesia much more efficiently than Galbatorix had, he wouldn't simply sit on his throne whilst traitors like Nasuada and Islanzadi were allowed to roam free and plot against him; he would ride out on his dragon and see to them personally. "What of those that will oppose me?" He asked.

"What of them?" Cynder replied. "You'll know what to do with them when they are presented to you." It was then that Saphira stepped from the shadows behind his throne. Eragon was startled by her presence; he hadn't expected her to be there.

_What are you doing, little one, you cannot take the throne for yourself._ She said to him, curling her neck so that her head was directly in front of him.

"But I can make everything better, Saphira." Eragon tried to explain.

_You know that a king that can not die will do the land no good. I will not allow you to take the throne, someone else should have it._

"No!" Eragon exclaimed, he was tired of people telling him what he could and what he could not do. "I will take this throne, and if you will not help me rule willingly then I will force you to help me."

_You can not force a dragon to do your bidding, human,_ Saphira growled, her teeth flashing in a hideous snarl.

"Just watch me, I know your true name, Saphira Bjartskular," Eragon proclaimed. "I have known you since birth and it wasn't that hard to figure out." He then called out Saphira's name. She shuddered as the power behind it hit her and forced her mind to become open to even the slightest nudge from the one addressing her. "Come, take your place behind my throne," Eragon commanded.

Saphira continued to shudder but proceeded to coil around the throne, taking the once former place of Shruikan as the King's protector. _As you wish, my King,_ Saphira finally said as she settled down. Eragon smiled. He could finally do what he wished and he had the power behind him to enforce it. He would take the land, mould it as he saw fit and force the people to submit to him.

King Galbatorix's rule was over, long live King Eragon.

--

Cynder awoke to the moonlight from the celestial moons shining in through her window. It illuminated her room and allowed her to see her meagre possessions that were dotted about the area. Her bed was of very little comfort, the guardians had no other materials to offer apart from the dried straw that they had taken from the training room, the straw usually used to stuff the training dummies. She didn't expect a new bed, however, no one had ever been kind enough to her to even give her the hope that she would receive a soft pile of hay that she had seen Spyro sleeping on once.

She knew that the guardians slept on the stone but she also knew they could only do that comfortably because they were much older and therefore had much more developed and harder scales. On her current bed she knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep so she rose to all fours and stretched, preparing to take her usual night walk when she couldn't sleep.

She stepped off the straw and made for the large, round, stone door that separated her room from the temple beyond it. But before she reached it she took a glance in her reflection pool, the strange magic of the temple somehow managing to keep the water in the pool from pouring out onto the floor despite the fact it was mounted on the wall. She flexed her wings, admiring the way her muscles stretched and her curves expressed themselves. She knew she was beautiful but with the large ugly bracelets fixed to her neck tail and forelegs she doubted that any dragon would find her attractive.

Suddenly feeling ugly, she left her room with her head down, struggling to open the stone door that seemed to be so easy for Spyro and the other guardians to do. The slight draft blowing through the hallway made her shiver as she crossed the threshold into the hallway and shut her door behind her. She then began to walk towards the training room, her first stop on her walks.

She thought about the first time she had trained in that room when she entered it, how the guardians had instructed her and Spyro to use their powers on the various magically enhanced dummies that were summoned for them to fight against. Spyro, of course, always managed to come out on top, receiving nothing but praise from his guardians. But Cynder? Cynder always managed to fail at one aspect of the training, receiving nothing but ridiculing advice and help from the elder dragons, which did little to improve her self confidence.

She did admit though, that she was being treated better than she had been when she was living with the apes and Gaul. But in her current state of mind she placed that down to the dragons in the temple pitying her, not because they cared. The one thing that she missed from her former life was the power that came with it. When she had finally come into her much larger body the apes suddenly became fearful of her, and Gaul, jealous. She had always enjoyed the fact that the Dark Master had preferred her over Gaul and never missed an opportunity to point it out and rub it in the apes face.

As she left the training room she knew that her next stop would be Spyro's room. She never set foot in it but she often opened the door and looked at him, wondering why he bothered to try to be her friend after everything she had done. She was thinking those same thoughts as she opened the door, revealing Spyro on his bed of hay and snoring loudly, the impertinent Sparx sleeping on the window sill.

She hated the little creature, constantly reminding her of her past despite her efforts to forget it and always abusing her in front of Spyro, who always did little to defend her apart from telling him to be quiet. She often wondered if Spyro even cared about her in anyway, his actions often confused her. Sometimes he would be polite and courteous and other times he would be bashful and become tongue tied when talking to her.

_If he had feelings for me he would have told me by now,_ She finally concluded, then shut the door and continued to her last stop before returning to her room, the balcony.

Now in a sulk she stepped out into the cool air and looked up at the moons, the large celestial objects making her dark scales shine. The forest below her stretched out in all directions, the long and winding silver river flowing between the trees and providing the dragons with copious amounts of fish. Cynder liked fish; she found it much more appetising than the deer and boar that the other dragons seemed to prefer. "Just another difference that separates me from them," she mumbled to herself.

"Being different isn't always bad," A voice suddenly said to her. She gasped and wheeled around; fixing her eyes on the voice's origin and then stood still as she gazed upon the form of a male black dragon.

"Who are you?" She asked, allowing a low, intimidating growl to creep into her voice. The dragon chuckled.

"Now, now, there's no need for that." He said, smiling innocently at her. "You just looked so down; I thought you could do with some company."

Cynder was suspicious, she knew nothing about any other dragons, and the guardians said it was rare for one to visit the temple. "Where did you come from?" The black dragon stepped off the lip of the balcony and on to the open space Cynder was standing on. He was the same height as her, the only difference between them being that he had more muscle mass, as expected of males, and he had two less horns than she had.

She stood her ground as he approached and sat on his haunches in front of her. "I guess you could say I was just passing through and saw your beautiful scales from the sky and thought I might introduce myself." He replied, causing her to blush slightly, no one had called any part of her beautiful before.

"I-I don't believe that but alright, I'll move on," she said as she composed herself, "then what's your name?"

She found herself entranced by his smile as he answered. "Eragon." The name seemed familiar to her but she just couldn't place it; she had never met him before, however, she knew that for a fact. "And may I ask what a beauty such as you is known as?"

Once again his words caused her to blush but she found herself answering anyway. "Cynder."

"Ah!" he suddenly exclaimed, "so you would be the black dragon Cynder, the one that brought the dragon race to their knees." Cynder suddenly looked away; she was hoping that this male hadn't heard of her before. "Hey, now," he continued, "don't feel bad, I always admired your strength and accomplishments." This startled her; she thought she was despised by everyone because of her deeds.

"What do you mean?" She asked, "What I did was horrible."

Eragon shook his head, "No, what you did was inspirational." He said, this time thoroughly confusing the young dragoness. "You had the power to do whatever you wanted and that's exactly what you did, fair enough you were in someone else's service but aren't we all?"

"What I was is no more," Cynder said, "that former self no longer exists." Eragon's smile disappeared when she said that, which worried her; she was hoping he would like her.

"That's a shame, I was looking forwards to meeting that dragon, and I was going to ask if she was interested in a companion but it seems you're the only one I found." He turned around and made his way to the edge of the balcony, getting ready to leave.

"Wait!" Cynder shouted. Eragon stopped and turned to look at her. Cynder didn't know exactly what she was doing, all she knew was that this dragon before her actually thought her beautiful, said it too, unlike Spyro. "I'll be your companion."

Eragon scoffed, "But you're weak," he replied, the comment stinging Cynder's heart. "The only way I would be your companion is…no, you wouldn't do it." He said as he prepared to leave again.

"No, wait, I'll do it, just tell me and I'll do it." Cynder pleaded, she didn't want to let him leave.

"Well if you really want to be with me…"

"I do," Cynder confirmed, blinded by hope.

"Then prove it, kill Spyro and show me that you're still the mighty dragoness you once were," Cynder gasped when Eragon said that, causing him to smile. "I knew you wouldn't do it."

"I don't have the strength to do that," She tried to explain, "When I was taken from the dark master's influence my ability to beat Spyro was taken from me."

"Then take it back!" Eragon shouted. He then began to emit a black aura as he rose into the air, his eyes losing their pupils and gaining a white glow. Cynder took a step back from the sudden transformation, recognising it for what it was instantly. "Where are you going?" His voice rang out, a slight echo to it as it resounded in her ears. "I thought you wanted a companion. Think, Cynder, no one has ever liked you for what you are, you have been shown nothing but pity since you fell. You were once respected; do you not want that respect again along with the power that comes with it?"

"I-I…" Cynder muttered, tears streaming down her eyes.

"I can give you what you want, Cynder. You may wish to sit here and wait for Spyro to show you the love and friendship you've craved since you hatched…or I can give it to you now." Eragon continued, his words becoming more enticing as Cynder listened to them.

"I want…" Cynder continued, her voice gaining some level of confidence.

"Crush those that oppose you, those that humiliate and ignore you. Take back your power!"

"I want the power!" Cynder suddenly roared, "Give it to me!" Her eyes focused, burning with her desire for the strength and supremacy needed to instil fear into her enemies once again.

"As you wish, my queen," Eragon smirked, dropping to the ground and spreading out his aura to engulf Cynder. It wrapped around her forelegs, seeping into her flesh between her scales. She shuddered as her transformation began. Her scales darkened, the pinks becoming blood red and her dark scales becoming a rich, jet black. Her body stretched, arms and legs growing longer and her waist beginning to thin. She stretched her wings, curving her growing neck to watch as the span of them covered the entire balcony, casting an ominous shadow against the temple.

When she had finally transformed she roared loudly, the chilling sound echoing through temple and waking its inhabitants. Eragon looked up at the mighty form of Cynder, "Now '_that'_ is the embodiment of beauty," He said, earning him a pleased growl from Cynder. Four loud roars answered Cynder's and soon the four guardians burst out of the temple and onto the balcony. "Show me what you can do," Eragon said as he ascended above the area to watch.

"We knew you couldn't be trusted, Cynder," Ignitus shouted as he let loose a volley of flames. Cynder simply smirked at them and blew forth a gale to rebound the flames towards Volteer. The lightning guardian narrowly avoided them only to be pursued by Cynder. "Keep her distracted, Volteer," Ignitus yelled as the three remaining guardians set off in pursuit.

"I'm trying," He called back as Cynder chased him away from the temple. Her youthful agility was too much for the old dragon, however, and she soon caught him. He roared in agony as she sunk her claws into his black, easily keeping him in the air. She looped her head round to face his and breathed out a thick shadow. The shade engulfed the electricity guardians head, cutting off his air and slowly suffocating him.

It was then that Cynder released him, momentarily watching as he fell to his death before setting her sights on her next target. The guardians, now enraged by their friend's death, tried to circle the black dragoness but once again she was too fast for them. She swung her bladed tail at Terrador as she flew over him, shredding the membrane of his right wing to tatters.

With only one wing he could not keep himself aloft and he began to spiral down to the ground below him. "I've got you, Terrador," Cyril shouted as he flew after the earth guardian. He managed to grab a hold of the mighty warrior but Cynder was relentless in her attacks. She darted down and spat a thick toxic at the ice guardian's eyes. He roared in pain as the nature of the poison slowly seeped into his core and his blood pumped it through his system.

Before long the guardians of earth and ice were plummeting down to the ground to paint it a healthy colour of red. Cynder laughed maniacally as Ignitus was forced to watch, she could see the pain in his eyes and she rejoiced in it. "You're next, old one. And then, your purple saviour."

As expected she watched the fire guardian head to the temple, no doubt to get Spyro to safety. She had no intention of letting that happen. She followed, at a speed that was leisurely to her yet still fast enough to keep up with the guardian. She could see Spyro on the balcony now, the glistening tears in the moonlight clearly visible on his face. When Ignitus landed to give Spyro instructions Cynder attacked, sinking her teeth into his neck and twisting, the resounding crack of bone piercing the night air.

Spyro watched in horror as Ignitus fell down limp and Cynder focused on him. "Why?" He asked her.

"Because I can," She simply responded, and with a flick of her tail decapitated the purple dragon.

"Very well done," Eragon called out as he descended back down to the balcony to Cynder. "And how do you feel?"

Cynder looked down at the carnage she had wrought, now that she wasn't in the thrall of battle she felt horrified at what she had done. "I…this isn't right." She replied. She turned to look down at the small black dragon but found that he had suddenly grown in size, now standing at equal height with her.

"Death is never easy, the question is, would you give up your power to avoid it?" He asked, pressing his snout to hers.

"No," Cynder replied, her eyes flashing white and her body gaining its ominous aura, "I wouldn't."

**Reviews are most welcome.**


	23. A dark turn of events

Sweat coated Eragon's skin and soaked his clothes when his eyes shot open and he sat up violently, almost tearing his stomach muscles in the process. He gasped to catch his breath, his pulse racing and his mind trying to keep up at the same pace. "What was that?" He asked himself as he remembered the dream he had had. It was as vivid as if it had been a memory and no matter what he tried he could not remove it from the forefront of his mind.

The quiet sound of sobbing reached Eragon's ears and it was then that he noticed Cynder in the cage opposite, huddled in a corner and facing away from him. A bright flash drew his attention to a purple crystal outside his cage but when the glow that it was emitting vanished and the crystal was nothing but a dull, purple piece of rock his attention was back on Cynder.

She was shaking slightly, her breaths coming in gasps rather than the calm and consistent flow of air through an unobstructed throat. "Cynder, are you alright?" He asked the black dragoness who stopped sobbing when she was addressed. She turned to face him and he could clearly see the tears in her eyes.

"You had a nightmarish dream, right?" She asked through a cracked voice.

Eragon nodded, "I slew Galbatorix, but then you started to tell me I could be king. I don't know why but in the dream I listened to you and crowned myself. It was horrible, I became like Galbatorix, I even forced Saphira to serve me when she refused to willingly help me conquer. She became nothing but a puppet, a tool of destruction that I could use when I saw fit. I never want to dream something like that again."

"You won't need to." Cynder replied. "That dream will stay in your mind for all eternity, at least until it is purged from your very soul, which I doubt it could be without killing you, I don't know how Spyro did it for me the first time." Eragon looked at her in confusion. He had no idea what she was talking about or why she was so upset.

"Did you have a dream too?" He asked, resulting in Cynder to begin crying anew. "Cynder, tell me about it, please." He continued, trying to coax the female into confiding in him. She continued to sob, but she managed to open her eyes and look at Eragon. It was then that he noticed something that wasn't there anymore. The faint glimmer of hope that had crept into her eyes since he had found her trapped in the crystal in Helgrind was gone, replaced by something new, something that Eragon couldn't explain.

"I was back at the dragon temple." She began, lying down on the cold stone and placing her head on her forelegs, her jaw making her head move up and down as she talked. "I was doing what I used to do at night, walking through the temple with my thoughts…except I was thinking thoughts that I hadn't thought since I first arrived at the temple when Spyro rescued me." Eragon remained quiet, wanting to here everything before he made a comment.

"I was thinking about how different I was to the other dragons at the temple, how they treated Spyro differently to me. I went out to the balcony, looked out at the river…when you arrived." Eragon looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She noticed his look and hissed at him. "If I was in your dream why couldn't you be in mine? Besides, you weren't human, you were a dragon, my dream self couldn't recognise you though." Eragon apologised and Cynder continued.

"You spoke to me, managed to say everything that removed my doubts about myself, but you then began to say how you respected and admired me when I was working for Malefor. You told me you wanted to be that dragoness' mate, and when I said I could be your mate you scoffed at me, called me weak. You said that the only way you would consider it would be if I killed Spyro. I refused and said I didn't have the power and then you told me to take it back and corrupted me, turned me into what I was before." Fresh tears were in her eyes now as she began to tell her vision of destruction and carnage.

"I killed them all…the guardians fell one by one, first Volteer, then Terrador and Cyril. Ignitus tried to protect Spyro but I snapped his neck like it was nothing." She wasn't sobbing anymore, the tears just simply poured from her eyes, slipping down her snout and dripping from the end. "I killed him, Eragon."

"It was just a dream, Cynder," Eragon began to say, "I never met Ignitus but-"

"Not Ignitus," Cynder interrupted, "…Spyro, I killed Spyro. By my tail his head was sheared from his body." She then retreated to her corner, where she continued to cry uncontrollably.

--

The island was mostly desolate, Saphira noticed as she followed Rhaxma through the air. Spyro was seated on her back to conserve his energy, plus the fact he couldn't keep up with the two large dragonesses. Saphira had expected vast fields of untended crops, large, flowing rivers, and an abundance of wildlife. But the riders seemed to be much different than she had believed. With the state the island was in it looked like they relied on exports from the mainland.

She looked away from the land below her when she saw more of the dragon-eating plants below; disturbing thoughts of being slowly digested by the plants creeping into her head. She escaped them by focusing on Rhaxma's tail, watching it as it guided the white dragonesses flight and provided balance. Saphira noticed that the tip of Rhaxma's tail almost matched her own perfectly, the three spines on the tip a little more spaced out on the larger dragon but Saphira placed that down to her sister being older.

_Bah, _she thought to herself, _my sister, she doesn't even acknowledge me as her sister. _Anger and frustration began to brim up on the surface of Saphira's mind. The magnitude of it was startling and it was all she could do to resist biting the last few feet of Rhaxma's tail clean off.

Being in such close proximity to Saphira, Spyro could feel her emotions threatening to consume her mind. He tried to speak to her but his voice couldn't reach her over the wind caused by her wings and movement through the air. He sighed to himself and connected his mind to hers. Her emotions hit him hard and he growled in discomfort. _Saphira, you need to calm down, _he said to her.

She growled a response, _Why should I? She's in the wrong, is it not right that I should feel this way? _Through courtesy to Spyro, however, she contained her emotions, allowing the purple dragon to answer freely without her emotions distracting him.

_I know that you're upset, _he said to her, _but it isn't exactly her fault is it? _Saphira tried to interrupt but Spyro wouldn't let her. _Think about it, Saphira, she's been here, alone, for all her life, she doesn't really have any idea how to speak to people with consideration for her feelings. You yourself aren't the easiest person to talk to, you often have moods where you tolerate no nonsense whatsoever and can be rude and dismissive. Just think of Rhaxma as being in one of those moods all the time._

Saphira's head sagged, dipping their flight slightly until she righted herself again. _I know all that, Spyro, but it's just more bearable for me to be angry…rather than melancholy. You don't know how long I've contemplated on being that last dragon able to continue our race. I even reconciled myself with the fact that I had no family and would refuse to mate with the traitorous dragons in Galbatorix's service. I'll never have hatchlings and I thought I'd never have any semblance of family. When we found Rhaxma I had thought I'd finally found what I was looking for, a family to belong to. But she shattered that hope with what she said to me in her nest._

Spyro remained quiet after that, being careful to choose the right words to tell the mighty dragoness that could easily roll in the air and leave him behind should she grow angry with him. _She does have a point though. _Saphira growled but Spyro carried on quickly. _You two are strangers, she could be a bloodthirsty beast leading us into a trap even though she's your sister. Are you saying you'd ignore that and devote yourself to her just because of the blood in your veins? _Saphira didn't answer, she knew he was right. She'd be just as suspicious had she not been overwhelmed by the realisation she had a sister. Besides, she couldn't see how her life would be changed by having a sister.

Spyro knew that he'd gotten through to her, he could feel her avoiding his thoughts, which he found amusing. But he knew he would have to have a similar conversation with Rhaxma yet, she'd be much more difficult to talk to, her isolation providing her with a low tolerance for being reprimanded. _You seem wise, _Saphira suddenly said,_ when it comes to this sort of thing. _Spyro grew quiet at that comment, and Saphira felt his reluctance to comment in return. _Cynder was like Rhaxma wasn't she?_

_She didn't trust anyone when I brought her back to the temple, _Spyro answered._ She ate alone, slept alone, spent almost all of her time alone. She was full of guilt too, which only made my attempts to befriend her take even longer._

_But you two did grow close eventually, right?_ The sapphire dragoness asked, feeling a slight emotional response come from the purple dragon. _Spyro…how close _did_ you grow together?_

_I want to save her more than anything, does that answer your question?_ Spyro replied, but Saphira could tell he was hiding something.

_Not really, I want to save Eragon more than anything, you know what I was implying when I asked you how close you were. Do you love her? _There was silence for several minutes when Saphira asked him that. They flew on, the moon high in the sky and the stars twinkling down upon them. The weather was cool, as it often was during the autumn but when winter hit, Saphira could tell that the island would freeze over.

_Yes, _Spyro finally said, _I love her…at least I think I do. _Saphira laughed at the statement, revelling in the youth's confusion on the subject and his embarrassment over his answer.

--

No food was brought to either Eragon or Cynder, although that wasn't much of a problem for Cynder; the rat population in the room had decreased exponentially. Eragon sat against his cage, facing the door with his legs stretched out before him and his arms crossed against his chest. He had considered performing his rimgar exercises, but he neither had the will nor energy to do them.

Cynder was in no mood to have a conversation, still wallowing in her corner of despair despite his efforts to distract her. The only thing he could do was sit in the company of his own thoughts, which mainly consisted of the dream he had had. It kept playing in his head, how he had slain the king, betrayed Saphira's trust and forced her to submit to him and how easy he found it to listen to Cynder's words. _No, not Cynder's words. Mine. _

Eragon looked around for the source of the voice but seeing the room was still empty he realised it had came from his own head. _Leave me be, Malefor, I am in no mood to have a discussion with you, unless of course you're going to set us free, which I have high doubts about._

The voice laughed in return and Eragon felt something strange about it, a sense of familiarity. _I am not Malefor, you fool. I am your inner desire, your true self. _The statement disturbed Eragon greatly, he had never had any thoughts or experiences like this before.

_That's impossible, you can't be my true self, I am my true self._ He replied, not fully understanding how he could possibly be arguing with himself over whether or not who was his real self and still consider himself sane.

_You mean what you are now? Ha, unlikely._ The voice continued. _You think that just because you have conscious thought and full reign of that body of yours that you are the true Eragon? Then you are mistaken. _

_How can I be mistaken…_Eragon stopped himself from continuing the sentence, refusing to continue to slip into insanity.

_Ignoring me won't do any good, _The voice continued, _I'm not going anywhere. _Eragon continued to ignore the voice, believing that if he didn't he truly would go mad. The voice grew tired of the silence and tried to coax Eragon to respond. _Have you never wondered where that urge you get when you look at a beautiful woman comes from? Or the urge that comes when you look at a valuable object? You may not acknowledge the urge but it's still there, telling you to steal that object, or ravish that woman._

_I have greater self control than that, _Eragon finally responded, angry that the voice would even try to suggest that he would do something like that.

_Ha, he speaks,_ The voice said, Eragon ignored it and it carried on._ Yes, you may be able to control them but the point is, they are always there. I am the one that creates them, it is simply me trying to express myself to the outside world. You may think you are the true Eragon but in fact I am, your inner desires that takes what it wants despite the feelings of others._

_Then you are the evil inside me and must be controlled. _Eragon responded, making the voice laugh maniacally inside his head.

_You do not understand what you are saying, do you? You see, every living creature in this land has desires, they are what make us. The ethics and morals that you use to control me are learned from the moment you exit your mother's womb, if you remove them you are only left with me. Don't you see? I am what is inside every creature, I am there from birth, if I'm suppressed and you are learnt that makes me the rightful Eragon, and by your logic, it also makes all life inherently evil. _Eragon's vision suddenly went black and he knew that his body had given into sleep.

But he wasn't in his usual dream-like trance that usually accompanied his strange state of sleep; he was stood in a vast white expanse, stretching out in all directions with no apparent end. He turned around as he studied his environment and came face to face with himself. But there was something disturbing about this other Eragon, he wasn't quite the same. "At least now we can talk face to face," The double said, smiling as it did so.

"Where are we?" Eragon asked, growing more and more concerned of the dark and ominous aura that enveloped his doppelganger.

"In our subconscious of course," It replied, "This is where you go when you dream, where I am free to reign and make you do things you would never do whilst awake."

"I don't understand how you are doing this, why haven't you been able to speak to me like this before?" Eragon asked, conscious of the fact that he had no sword but the mirror image of him did.

"I don't quite know myself," It responded, its head looking up and around, as if looking for something. "But the barriers in your mind have weakened, I am no longer trapped within the confines of your rights and wrongs, of your ethics and morals. I can exert my presence anywhere in your mind. I think it has something to do with this." It then snapped its fingers and the white expanse cracked, then shattered. The white pieces fell out of existence and was replaced by a menacing, purple glow that cast both Eragons in different shades of the colour.

"This is the light that came form the crystal," Eragon said as he looked around at the light.

"I know, I share our memories too, you imbecile." The double responded. "This glow, it strengthens me, allows me into our conscious mind." The double then looked at Eragon, his black aura growing until it cast everything in shadow. "But more importantly, it allows me to do this." The Aura then enveloped Eragon.

He struggled against it, tearing and ripping at the mist or shadow or whatever form of evil it was. But it was to no avail. With a silent scream Eragon was trapped within the black substance which began to twist around Eragon, encasing him in a cocoon. The subconscious form of Eragon smiled as the purple light was absorbed by the cocoon, transforming it into a purple crystal, with Eragon at it's centre.

"Now," Eragon said as he placed his hand on the outside of the crystal containing his good self, "All I have to do is get out of the current predicament you've managed to get me in and I'll be able to do what I want, after all, how hard can it be to kill Galbatorix and take his place for myself?"

--

Cynder was having a similar conversation with her own inner self. Her double was not like her, however. It was the twisted form she once was whilst serving Malefor. It loomed over the young Cynder and sneered at her. "I've waited so long to be returned to our master, and now that can be a reality."

Cynder shook her head, refusing to acknowledge the other's presence. "I won't let you become me again," she said through a growl, "if I do everyone and everything I care about will die. I've fought too hard to rid myself of my guilt for you to slather it upon me again."

"Since when did we care about anything?" The double asked, "We used to be strong, powerful, respected. Then that purple dragon you so lovingly admire came along and stripped us of it. Now we are below him, ridiculed by the many and pitied by the few." The dark double smashed her tail to the ground creating an ear splitting crack, shattering the white interior of Cynder's mind and allowing the dark purple light to envelope them.

"No, I know the difference between right and wrong now," Cynder yelled defiantly at the larger dragon. "I won't lie down and submit to you like I did before when I was abused, neglected and unwanted."

"My dear, you have no choice in the matter." The double replied with a scornful smile, her black aura beginning to grow and threaten Cynder's space. "Our Master has given me the power to take control once again, and oh how I will serve him, bring about his reign as ruler of lands." Cynder turned and ran, she knew she couldn't fight herself, especially when herself was portrayed as her much more powerful past self. "You can not run, Cynder. You managed to lock me away after the few years I was in control. Our Master gave me the freedom that would have otherwise been restricted from me should he not have ordered our egg to be stolen. You will step aside and allow me control once again, I shall not be denied!"

The black aura rose up like a thick fog, rolling over itself in it's pursuit of the fleeing dragoness. After several minutes however, Cynder knew it was futile to try and escape. This was the nature of the Dark Master's corruption, to defeat his servants from within, weakening their barriers and their so called delusions of right and wrong; allowing his servants to lose all inhibitions. Cynder knew that what she was running from wasn't another version of her, it was simply her desires manifested as a being by her unconscious mind; she herself was just a manifestation of ethics separate from desire.

She stopped running, sat on her haunches and waited for the envelope of darkness that had consumed her once before when she was first turned. She didn't struggle when the darkness began to embrace her, hold her, wrap her. She simply allowed it to consume her form, where it began to cocoon her in an almost impregnable prison.

The manifestation of Cynder's desires and emotions then appeared next to the cocoon as it began to absorb the purple light, Malefor's energy. She smiled when she peered through the beautifully frightening crystal at the silent and accepting form of Cynder's inhibitions and conscience. "It's been so long since I've felt like this," She said as she began to take full control of her body's mind. "Although I do love Spyro I'm not going to let him get in the way of my master's plans. If my master wishes me to, the purple dragon will die."

--

Eragon's eyes snapped open, taking in his surroundings and his mind already concocting a plan of escape. He stood to his feet and approached the bars of his cage, testing their strength against his. They wouldn't budge and as he struggled against them the door at the other end of the room clicked, opened, and in walked Galbatorix. Eragon smiled slyly at him. "My liege," he said with a half bow, "I have seen the light. Set me free and allow me to serve you, together we can crush the Varden, especially with the secrets I know."

_Be quiet, Eragon, _Malefor replied, causing Eragon's smile to turn to a scowl. _We all know that you would sooner cut out Galbatorix's heart and take his place rather than serve under him._

"True enough," Eragon agreed, a slight smirk creeping into his smile, "But worth a try, wouldn't you agree?"

Malefor remained silent as Galbatorix approached Cynder's cage. He drew his sword half way from its sheath and rapped the hilt across the bars. _Nothing to say, Cynder? How unlike you._ Malefor said to the crumpled form of the dragoness in the corner. She didn't remain motionless for long, however. She raised her head, turned to the bars and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Master, I was just…well, collecting my thoughts, for lack of a better term." She then rose to her feet and approached the bars and upon Malefor's orders Galbatorix opened the cage and allowed the dragoness out. "Thank you, but I'd prefer to thank you personally rather than your consciousness."

_As would I, Cynder, but I am not yet ready to take on a corporal form. Until then I am free to flit between my servants, you included now that you have returned to me. _Cynder seemed to show joy at that prospect, and so did Galbatorix.

"Then could you not transfer yourself to her for a while and give me some peace?" Galbatorix asked, holding his head as he rubbed his temples.

_In due time, but more important matters first._ Malefor replied.

"Am I not to be released?" Eragon asked, the grip he held on the bars in front of him turning his knuckles white.

_That depends,_ Malefor answered, _on whether I can trust you. You see, just because I've released you from your conscience doesn't mean I have your loyalty; you would try to take power for yourself. I first have to make you realise that if you turn against me you will not be able to take anything for yourself. I am far more powerful than you, and I also have Cynder to stop you should you get out of hand. _Cynder smiled at Eragon, her deadly teeth flashing as if to punctuate Malefor's point.

"Then how can you ensure I will serve you?" Eragon asked, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall. "You've effectively made me one of the least trustworthy people in all of Alagaesia, my word means nothing."

_True enough, so therefore I must offer you enough to make it worthwhile for you to follow me. _Eragon smiled at that and stopped slouching against the stone, showing that he was listening. _You see, Cynder already knows what I promise her; power, wealth, respect. She wouldn't turn against me because I can take that away._

"And I am most grateful for it, Master," Cynder interrupted with a bow of her head.

_Quite, so I must therefore offer you what you want, Eragon._

"I'm listening," Eragon said, intrigued by what Malefor could possibly offer him to ensure his loyalty.

_You ache for power, I can feel it. You wish to rule and conquer and be the most feared man in the land. And that is why I offer you an unusual gift. Another human servant is useless to me, but a dragon…_Eragon looked at Galbatorix, then at Cynder; they had blank expressions. Eragon then burst into laughter.

"Do you seriously expect me to believe that you can turn me into a dragon? Enough jokes, tell me what you would offer me to ensure my loyalty."

_I am not joking, Eragon. Swear your loyalty to me and I will make you the most feared dragon of all time, alongside Cynder, of course. _Eragon looked at Cynder, she wasn't laughing, Malefor was being serious.

"You can make me into a dragon, like Cynder or Saphira?" Eragon asked, suddenly taking the offer seriously.

_It will be made possible by your link to Saphira so you would resemble her, colours may vary, however, and you will have possession of all manners of unusual powers that I will give to you as my servant. The question is, Eragon, will you accept and become my left hand whilst Cynder is my right? Will you work well with a partner? I am sure you and Cynder will relish the chance to cause destruction._

"Oh, I certainly will, and with a partner it just might make it more interesting, especially if he becomes a handsome dragon, like the one in my dream." The alluring tone of her voice was picked up by Eragon and he felt a slight urge which of course wasn't repressed.

"Well that said I just might enjoy your company, Cynder, as a dragon I'd probably enjoy ravishing you." Cynder growled a response, not an angry one, but somewhat playful.

"You may find you would be the one who is ravished, I am not one to simply lie down and submit," She and Eragon then stared at each other for a few moments until Malefor interrupted them.

_Well, Eragon, do you accept?_

Eragon smirked, and nodded. "Very well, make me a dragon and I will serve you, Master."

**Right, I believe I confused quite a few people with the last chapter so hopefully this chapter has made it clear that the last chapter depicted dreams that Malefor had caused Eragon and Cynder to have. And just to clarify, there aren't two Eragons and two Cynders; the 'evil' Eragon was Eragon's manifestation of his desires and impulses and the 'good' eragon was his conscious, same goes for Cynder. Think of it as Eragon's and Cynder's devil and angel, you know, the ones that sit on your shoulders and argue comically in films and cartoons. Well I hope you enjoyed it, please review.**


	24. The next move

**Took me ages to get this chapter the way I want it and I still think it could have been better. Well you should enjoy it so read on.**

"The least you could have done was wait for me!" Sparx yelled as he buzzed angrily around Spyro's head. He'd been following them as fast as he could from Rhaxma's nest after they had forgotten he was too small to keep up with the massive dragons. Spyro, Saphira and Rhaxma had reached the entrance to the catacombs in the centre of the island before Spyro noticed that the dragonfly was missing.

Not wanting to carry on without him and fearing something bad had happened, Spyro asked Saphira to take him back along the path they had travelled to search for him and found him resting on a large leafy bush, exhausted. "I'm sorry, Sparx," Spyro apologised, "I completely forgot you were here, you slipped my mind entirely what with recent events and everything."

"Well you should be sorry," The dragonfly continued, "If I'd been eaten by something on this crazy island then you'd be left alone with these monsters," he waved his hands wildly at the forms of Rhaxma and Saphira who were watching the spectacle from a few feet away. "Then you'd be sorry." He finally finished.

"I won't forget you again, alright, Sparx?" Spyro promised, knowing that his adoptive brother wasn't that angry with him, he was just upset that he'd been left behind to fend for himself for a while, without the protection of three dragons.

"Too right you won't," he replied as he took a seat between Spyro's two horns. "I'm not leaving from this spot unless it's absolutely necessary." As annoying as that would be, Spyro didn't complain, it was safer for Sparx to stay there and at least that meant he wouldn't be left behind again.

_I take it you've resolved your quarrels?_ Rhaxma then asked as she got up from her lying position and stretched; her massive bones cracking as they locked into place. She then yawned loudly, the sight of her gaping maw making Sparx shiver.

Saphira was next to get up, and she still looked as big as ever to Spyro, even if she was half the size of her sister. _I want to get to the Chronicler as quickly as possible, _she said as she stretched her wings and folded them back neatly against her sides. _The longer we spend idle the less likely the chance we will be able to rescue Eragon. _

"I'm ready to go whenever you are," Spyro replied. Sparx simply remained silent, he didn't want to go into the catacombs, especially since he knew it would lead him to the celestial caves; he didn't enjoy the atmosphere it generated, namely the constant whispering from the walls. "Are there any dangers on the way?" Spyro then asked Rhaxma as he peered into the dark hole in the cliff face that angled downwards and opened into a large cavern lit by strange, luminous, blue moss.

Rhaxma shook the earth as she began to walk towards the hole and snaked her body into it. Saphira watched her disappear and then went after her, being careful not to let her clawed feet slip and cause her to tumble into the darkness. Spyro watched her for a moment and then hesitated; Rhaxma never answered his question. "You can't tell me you're scared now," Sparx mocked. "You've been to far worse places before for pretty much the same reason your doing this now."

Sparx was right. He wasn't doing this for himself, he was doing it to find Cynder and rescue her. He took a breath of the morning air and then quickly darted into the opening, immediately becoming blind as his eyes were exposed to the sudden dimming of light. He realised that he couldn't see but before he could stop himself his horns grazed something soft and a harsh growl came as a response.

_Be careful, Spyro! _Saphira hissed into his mind. He apologised whilst Sparx laughed at the purple dragons recklessness. _We'll wait for your eyes to adjust, then we'll move on,_ she then said to him.He glumly nodded, and sat down on his haunches, waiting for his eyes to make out the dark shapes around him with enough clarity to be able to navigate the seemingly treacherous cave system.

It took him a few minutes but eventually the blue light emanating from the moss that clung to the damp walls was enough to allow him to see, not brilliantly, but see nonetheless. "I think we can move on now," he said as he looked at Saphira. He saw her nod her large head then watched as she turned to follow Rhaxma, who had already began to move on, taking a path down a gentle slope and rounding a corner deeper into the cave.

--

The lighting began to grow worse as they travelled deeper, but only for Spyro. The blue light given off by the moss was ideal for Saphira to be able to see, her eyes more sensitive to blues than any other coloured light and Rhaxma's eyes were much more sensitive than Spyro's whose eyes required bright light to work best.

A low hanging rock smacked into Spyro's head as he walked into it and he growled, "I can't see a thing!" He exclaimed, his voice echoing around the rocky cavern. He waited for a growl from either Saphira or Rhaxma to help him locate them but it never came. "Saphira?" He shouted out into the darkness. Silence.

_Saphira!_ He then decided to mentally shout. He was growing scared. He was alone in the dark. Sparx had left him in favour of Saphira because the purple dragon collided with rocks and tripped too many times for Sparx to be comfortable.

His panic began to rise above any level he'd experienced before; being lost underground in almost complete darkness was beginning to terrify him. Curiously, or so he thought, Cynder continuously appeared in his mind but the mental image seemed to be doing nothing to calm him down as his breaths began to come short and fast and he started to recklessly move through the darkness searching desperately for the two larger females.

Minutes passed and still he couldn't find them, however, to him it felt like hours. His body began to tremble and his mind suddenly clicked. He could breath fire, and fire created light. He inhaled deeply and then focused on his inner fire but when he exhaled a dazzling orb of white light shot forth and illuminated the entire area. Spyro's pupils suddenly contracted and he hissed in pain as his eyes were assaulted by the light. He then heard two roars as Saphira and Rhaxma covered their eyes, the light taking them by surprise and making them blind.

The light soon faded and Spyro was able to open his eyes again. A blurred after image of the orb was burnt into his eyes and it took several more minutes for it to fade. Once it did however, he squinted his eyes as much as possible and let lose another orb of light, his purple dragon instincts remembering how to do so after the first initial usage. Although Spyro was prepared for it this time, Rhaxma and Saphira were still taken by surprise and they roared out again, cursing the light.

Once Spyro's eyes had adjusted themselves he opened them fully and studied his surroundings. Large insects on the walls were what he noticed first, their elongated limbs stretching far out across the rocky surfaces away from the small diminutive bodies. After that he noticed the two forms of Saphira and Rhaxma further in the cave, their heads hidden under their wings whilst Sparx rubbed his eyes vigorously on Saphira's back.

The light began to fade again as Spyro ventured towards them, now able to see clearly in front of him, his previous fear gone. He let loose another orb of light that shot out in front of him and remained stationary as whatever source of energy fed it and its output of light. Once he reached the other dragons, who had began to grow accustomed to the light, he growled happily. "Looks like I found a new element," he proudly proclaimed. The angry growls he received didn't dampen his spirits.

_A little more warning in the future would be appreciated._ Rhaxma hissed, her eyes beginning to lose the glare effect that had been burnt into them.

"I did call out for you but you never answered, I even cried out mentally." Spyro explained, leaving out his feelings of terror.

_I didn't hear anything,_ Saphira insisted. Spyro thought for a moment; he was certain that he did call out and not imagined it. But if Saphira insisted that they didn't hear him then they mustn't have heard him. _At least now we can see clearly, we can move a lot faster like this._

_That's true,_ Rhaxma replied as she began moving again, _another hour or so and we should be able to see The Chronicler's home._ Saphira began to follow whilst Sparx flew off her back and took a seat between Spyro's horns again.

"Well look at you, Mr. Sunshine," He declared, much to Spyro's annoyance. "Just think, when we rescue doom and gloom you might be able to shine some light into her and make her disappear, that's what happens when light shines on shadows, right?"

Spyro shook his head, "Sparx, that joke was terrible." He said, causing Sparx to cross his arms in a huff. But it did get Spyro thinking. If he found another element what was stopping him from learning the elements Cynder controlled? He made a mental note to ask her if she'd teach him a few things once he saved her as he followed Saphira's snaking tail.

--

The last of the commanding sergeants quietly but hastily took his place amongst the other's in the large fort at the centre of Belatona. Jörmundur scowled inwardly, making a mental note to pull him aside and remind him that a commanding officer is always on time. He was seated to the right of Nasuada who of course was sat at the head of the table. To his right was Roran, who had been given the command of a squadron of a one hundred men, not a force that would typically turn the tide in battle but with Roran at it's command Nasuada was certain that they could be a force to be reckoned with.

A little to the left and behind Nasuada was Arya, her lithe form leaning against the wall as she studied those that had been called to the war room. Several of the men studied her too, the sight of her in her tight-fitting battle dress, her elven blade on her hip and her alien beauty putting all of their wives to shame. Naturally she ignored their stares, too busy sifting through their minds whilst they were distracted, looking for any sign of treachery, treason, or foul-play.

To Nasuada's left sat Orik, acting as the Dwarfs chief war general. It had come to a great relief to the Varden when a Queen was elected to rule the dwarfs that was sympathetic to the Varden. Her name was Ioruun, the clan chief of Dûrgrimst Vrenshrrgn, and although they were a particularly war-like clan she was chosen not for her battle skills, but for her negotiation skills. She realised that the dwarfs were teetering on self-destruction and she was not only dedicated to over throwing Galbatorix, but to also establishing the dwarfs as a major faction in Alagaesia again, which struck a chord with the majority of the dwarves population.

With her popularity given a boost she narrowly beat Orik to the position of leader of the dwarfs but she was a graceful victor. She knew her ability on the battlefield was limited so appointed Orik as her war chief, knowing that his standing in the Varden and his training under Hrothgar would only benefit the war effort and ensure that the dwarfs contributions were well managed.

One of the last key leaders in the war room was Nar Garzhvog, standing by the side of the room much like Arya was doing, but he was looking for other signs of a traitor, the physical signs such as fidgeting, shifting eyes, and increased sweating. It was true that a spy could easily conceal his mind from detection but a body was much more difficult to control. Not that his presence made it any easier for him, however. The way he towered over the humans with his grotesque appearance was enough to make any man fidget and sweat.

Naturally, the last person of note within the chamber was Angela. She was seated by herself at the side of the room, planning on listening carefully and only voice her opinion if she thought it necessary. Usually she would have had to think of another means to access the information discussed in the room but her activities during the Battle of the Burning Plains had shown everyone she had a mind built for war so had been invited to take part in the proceedings.

"How is our standing within the city, commander?" Nasuada finally spoke as she began the proceedings and addressed Jörmundur.

Jörmundur nodded his head slightly in acknowledgement and began to outline the results of their campaign so far. "Belatona is well defended. Our troops are housed behind the walls and regular scouting parties are sent out in a ten league radius to detect any oncoming enemy forces. Out of the soldiers that defended Belatona against us, just under one thousand and five hundred troops defected to our forces with a further six hundred civilians volunteering for service.

"Feinster and Melian are in similar conditions with Melian being more at risk due to it being a town rather than a city. However, our forces have begun fortifications in all three cities to increase our chances of holding them. Trenches lined with spikes, pike lines and archer towers are being built around our lines. All in all, your ladyship, we are in a better condition than after The Burning Plains and have secured a foothold within the Empire. We are fit to move on with the Campaign." Nasuada nodded as Jörmundur finished and several of the commanders whispered to their neighbour.

Nasuada, however, wasn't only interested in her side of the war. "Arya," she said, forcing the elf to move from her position against the wall and into Nasuada's line of sight. "Have the elves took up their positions near their next target?"

"They have," Arya began. "Ceunon is completely under elven control; unless the king himself came against us then we will hold it until this war is over. As for the target. Two forces, each with one thousand elves, have began to skirt around Lake Isenstar to flank Gil'ead on it's west and east walls. Due to the nature of Gil'ead's defences and it's strategic advantage should we take it, three groups of twelve of our most proficient magic users have been sent to the only three cities where reinforcements are likely to come from; Yazuac; Daret; and even Therinsford, despite it's distance."

"So you are confident that Gil'ead will fall?" Nasuada asked, knowing the answer would be yes.

"Gil'ead will fall, Nasuada, you can mark my words." Arya then returned to her position against the wall. As her mind resumed brushing against the other consciousnesses she detected hopes and feelings of confidence from the commanders. The elf wished it was only as simple as hoping; she knew that anything could happen that could cripple their war efforts, the least of which would be the sight of Shruikan over the city.

Before Nasuada could ask, Orik spoke up, "The dwarfs will also be available to aid you with your next attack objective, Nasuada. An army was dispatched almost two weeks ago, they should be in sight of your scouting parties within the day."

"Did they manage to render assistance to Orrin's forces at Aroughs?" Nasuada quickly asked, knowing that if Orrin's siege had failed then a possible counter-strike could take the Varden by surprise from the south. Should Galbatorix decide to send warships carrying reinforcements from Teirm to the most southern coastal city in the Empire then the Varden and Surdan armies would have to fight on two fronts.

"A small force of two hundred dwarves broke off from the main group and managed to get to Aroughs just as Orrin was ordering an attack on the cities gates." Orik replied, then smiled. "Our axes and hammers proved most successful in crushing the skulls of the cities defenders and Aroughs has been secured. However, we are not used to fighting on the coast, should ships arrive to retake the city we would be hard-pressed to provide any useful assistance."

The attitudes of the commanders seemed to develop an air of arrogance and confidence at that. They were certain that the Empire was falling and that the Varden would emerge victorious when the two armies clashed together at Urû'baen's walls. This, of course, caused Angela to speak, the apparent lack of foresight in the room proving too much for her to handle. "You all seem to be forgetting that although we are taking some strategic locations, those locations are on the fringe of the Empire."

Nasuada already knew what Angela was aiming at but let her continue, lest she have to start checking her meals for not only poisons but any number of irritating, if otherwise harmless, potions and powders Angela might see fit to distribute. "Galbatorix has never once cared for his Empire, preferring instead to let his cities fend for themselves. The resistance you have come across so far at these cities is nothing, simply the men and boys that Galbatorix saw unfit to serve in his main army. You all saw that the army on the Burning Plains retreated, and none of you have encountered it again."

"Yes, Angela," Nasuada finally interrupted, making Angela scowl but quieten down. "Galbatorix would have moved his army closer to the heart of the Empire. We have taken a number of cities and towns but these are nothing when you pit them against Gil'ead, Dras Leona, Teirm and Urû'baen. His army is somewhere near those cities, most likely Urû'baen and each of those cities in turn will be defended by many, far more than what we have encountered so far."

"But would they be able to withstand an all out attack from our army?" One of the commanders asked, causing all eyes to fall on him. "They may have more soldiers guarding their cities but the cities we have taken so far have been taken by forces not at full strength. If we moved all our efforts and pitted them against one of those cities wouldn't it fall just like the ones that have already fallen?"

"True," Roran answered as Nasuada was about to speak. She quickly closed her mouth before anyone noticed and allowed Roran to speak, curious as to what he would say after being given men to lead and ensure their safety. "If we did pitch our forces against a city it would probably fall. But in the process we would lose many men, not to mention leave our captured cities at risk of being taken from us in return." The commander that had spoken was about to argue but realised that what Roran had said held true, no matter how anyone looked at it.

"Excellent points, Roran," Nasuada spoke. She then looked at Nar Garzhvog, "Tell me, Nar Garzhvog, can Urgals and Kull swim?" A deep, guttural chuckle answered her question and the man sat in front of the Kull began to rise out of his seat, too scared to remain seated. A large palm fell on the man's shoulder and he crumpled back down with a stifled whimper.

"None shall leave whilst battle is discussed," Garzhvog sneered at the man, "unless somehow someone is injured, which happens quite frequently during Urgal battle talks." He then removed his hand from the man's shoulder who sat quietly, shaking and ignoring the eyes that stared at him. "We can swim, Lady Nightstalker. Many of my kindred venture into the harsh rolling seas with our heavy battle axes in search of sea monsters to kill."

"So I take it a brief swim in a calm lake would be acceptable for you?" Nasuada pushed on.

"It would take as much effort for us to snap a man's neck," Garzhvog answered as he stared down at the terrified man for a reaction. No reaction came from him and the Kull looked away; he wasn't aware that the man had feinted. "But why do you ask this?"

"I plan to take Dras Leona," Nasuada answered, "And to do that I'll need any warships in the lake disabled or captured so that the Dragon Wing can approach the lake shore and use it's ballistae against the walls."

"The ballista would do little damage to the walls of the city, m'lady." Jörmundur quietly said to her.

"I am aware of that, Jörmundur, however, that will merely be a distraction. It would take some time for the city's defenders to realise that the ballistae are useless but before they do they will insist on targeting the ship with their own ballistae, therefore taking their aim away from our infantry and allowing us to approach the gates.

"Once there, we will breach the walls by any means necessary. Naturally that is where I would have Eragon use his magic to undermine the integrity of the stone and allow us to break down the walls with our siege engines. Has he been spotted yet?" Nasuada asked the room. None of those present spoke. "Arya?"

"Islanzadi assures me that Eragon left Du Weldenvarden days ago. He should have been here by now." The elf answered. Nasuada grew worried. In order for Eragon to arrive at the Varden he would have had to go through the Empire. With the worrying and vague reports they were receiving from their spies in the empire she was beginning to think that he'd been intercepted.

"I want all of our contacts to be on the look out for Eragon or Saphira. Should they spot him or hear of his whereabouts I want them to report it immediately." The commanders nodded and one of the guards by the room's door quietly left to issue the orders. "As for everyone else, order your men to assemble and mobilize the army. Leave enough behind to hold this city and then move north towards Dras Leona. Send an envoy to Surda and order the Dragon Wing to be fully stocked with provisions and a crew able to man the ballistae and have it sent north up the Jiet River. Go!"

The human commanders quickly rose from their seats and one by one marched out of the room to carry out their orders. Arya, Garzhvog, Jörmundur and Orik remained where they were whilst Angela and Roran left together, the herbalist in deep conversation with Roran. "Garzhvog, order as many of your brethren as you see fit and command them to wait for the Dragon Wing where the Jiet River meets Leona Lake. Once you rendezvous with her follow it along the lake shore and await orders to take to the waters and engage the enemy ships." Garzhvog nodded his horned head and turned to leave, giving a quick glance to the fainted commander with his yellow eyes as he passed.

"Orik, you will remain here and await the dwarfs. Once they reach Belatona you will take command and lead them north to join the rest of us. With the dwarfs following our rear whilst we travel north you will be able to intercept any enemy forces that try to attack our rear should we not detect them."

"As you wish, Nasuada," Orik then rose from his seat and made to leave. He stopped before he reached the door. "If someone hears of Eragon would it be possible to send a message to me?" He asked. "He is a member of my clan and as clan chief I wish to know if he is safe."

"Of course, Orik," Nasuada replied and she watched the dwarf leave. She then sighed as she looked at Jörmundur, "This is a risky move, any number of things can go wrong."

"We'd have to push on eventually," Jörmundur reassured. "The longer we wait the more time Galbatorix has to reorganise his army and bolster his cities defences."

"True, and if we take Dras Leona the Empire's moral will be dealt a blow which it may never recover from, especially if Gil'ead falls at the same time." Nasuada moved towards a window that looked out to city. She peered through it and watched as men bustled below and orders were shouted. "If this attack succeeds then we will march on Urû'baen. With the elves coming from the north, the Varden from the west and the Surdans from the south Galbatorix will be faced with more than he can handle."

A single thought entered her mind as she finished her sentence. _I hope._

**I've discovered I enjoy thinking up battle plans to lay siege to cities, I'll have to think up more for the other cities of Alagaesia for the future. Well, the war's escallating, which means the book I'm reading is quite useful. It's basically an entire war in one book with dragons, swords and castles; Dragonmaster, I recommend it if you like that sort of thing. Well enough about that. Please review, it'll be appreciated.**


	25. Relics of the past

**Enjoy!**

A frigid blast of wind blew through the narrow passageways of the catacombs. The temperature had began to drop as they pushed on deeper into the centre of the island, a clear sign that they were nearing the frozen home of The Chronicler.

_We'll be able to see the waters of the celestial caves any minute now,_ Rhaxma said to the two dragons following her. The ceiling had begun to creep lower as they progressed and now Rhaxma was forced to bend her knees and crawl on her belly to fit through the shrinking gap. It was still comfortable for Saphira, however, and Spyro had nothing to worry about, being the smallest of the three dragons.

_Did the riders ever know about this place?_ Saphira asked, finding it difficult to believe that they could live on an island with a frozen core that housed an ancient dragon and not discover it. Spyro had also been wondering the same thing, if the Chronicler did live here then it wouldn't be difficult to find him, after all, they only had to go through a cave system to get to him.

_No, they didn't know about him, _Rhaxma replied, growling as her back scrapped against a stalactite, breaking the limestone pillar and scratching her scales slightly. _The Chronicler managed to deter anyone from exploring the caves by influencing the dragons and telling them to not let the humans or the elves near it, for fear that some ancient creature would rise forth and wipe out the dragons. _

Saphira snorted at that and Rhaxma growled an amused tone. _That's exactly what I thought, _she said, _no creature exists that could wipe out the dragons in one fell swoop, unless you count Galbatorix but he made it possible by deceit and betrayal. But the Chronicler's abilities are impressive, he isn't telling us to stay away from the caves anymore, if he was you can be certain that we wouldn't be here._

Spyro didn't dispute that, he remembered the way the Chronicler could just make the purple dragon collapse at the ancient's will, to enter his dreams and converse with him over great distances. If the Chronicler could do that Spyro didn't doubt that he could create some myth to ingrain into every dragons' mind.

Another draft blew against the dragons. The two females made no reaction to it, the fire in their bellies providing them with constant warmth but Spyro had no such fire, his body contained a number of different elements, only growing to life when he expressed them meaning that he would only feel warm if he breathed fire, which he couldn't do continuously. He shivered, but only slightly, it would take a drastic drop in temperature for it to even begin to cause him problems.

He had not had to emit any of his light for several minutes now; the blue light had vastly increased, seeping in from its source ahead of them. And as they turned the last corner they emerged into an immense cavern, the bright and glowing aqua ocean separating them from the ancient looking temple before them.

Spyro remembered that in his time it had looked in a state of disrepair, broken statues and fallen pillars had littered the temples halls and chambers. But the temple had deteriorated to the point of near ruin. The way the temple had somehow been claimed by the island and encased in its stony depths had caused many of the spires and domes to have been assimilated into the rock that had surrounded it. In other places time had worn away the stone and brick and crumbled walls that left large gaping holes, providing the temple with very little signs of any ability to retain heat for something to live comfortably inside.

"This place is a dump," Spark commented, breaking the silence. Rhaxma and Saphira looked at him, a sound two quiet to be distinguished came from Rhaxma but that was all.

"Well after who knows how many years you can't really expect it to be in the condition we found it in can you?" Spyro asked the dragonfly, not really expecting an answer.

But the insect always had something to say. "It was a dump then too," He muttered. To anyone else that small conversation would have been confusing but Saphira understood that Spyro wasn't from her time and Rhaxma had been told exactly where Spyro had come from, a few titbits of the war and an even briefer synopsis of Saphira's life. The greater dragon had particular questions when it concerned Glaedr, owing to Saphira's once infatuation to him but promptly stopped when the sapphire dragon explained the golden dragon's disability and his unstable personality; an ill dragon, be it physically or mentally, was not a suitable mate.

_The temple is indeed in a terrible condition but the inner chambers are more welcoming. _Rhaxma then said as she spread her wings to fly across the body of odd water. Saphira and Spyro followed and each one of them landed on the soft, white sand, the only surviving remnant other than the ice to allude to the island's former name before Vroengard. _Some of these holes are actually my doing, _Rhaxma admitted as they approached a gaping hole in the temple's outer boundaries. _I had become too big to fit comfortably through the ones that already existed so I had to force my way through._

As they reached the gap what Rhaxma had said proved to be true. She hadn't been to the temple in a number of years and as such she had once again grown too large for the opening. She growled with frustration and stepped back, pointing her head at the smaller dragons and then back at the hole. They both nodded and Saphira, followed shortly by Spyro, entered into the temples grounds.

A loud crash sounded behind them and they turned to see a now dusty Rhaxma and a large pile of rubble behind her; she had forced her way clear through and almost destroyed the structure. _Does the Chronicler mind you destroying his home?_ Saphira asked, taking advantage of this rare moment to chastise her sister. Rhaxma rolled her shoulders and stretched her wings in response, the dust clinging to her scales falling off but she would need to clean herself to get them to sparkle again.

_This part of the temple isn't his home. As I said before the temple gets more welcoming as we move in, this area is just the fading outlines of a long forgotten temple, slowly being claimed by time. He doesn't mind. _With that, Rhaxma continued to lead the way, her answer having frustrated Saphira and making Spyro sigh; there really was no sisterly bond between the two.

They eventually entered a large courtyard that Spyro remembered, as did Sparx. "Great, now we get to listen to the freaky voices with their freaky riddles just to get inside." He complained. Rhaxma looked at him with her head tilted on its left and then the sound of incoherent whispering sounded. But that was all. No distinguishable voices were heard and soon the voices died down, this time confusing Spyro.

"But I thought that we were supposed to answer a riddle to get in?" He said, not really to anyone. It was then that he decided to take a look at his surroundings. They were indeed in the courtyard that had required him to answer a riddle concerning his elements but the orbs that were required to answer it were gone, having succumbed to the effects of time long ago. There were nothing left but featureless lumps where the dragon statues once stood, the crystals nothing but dust in their hollows.

Spyro then watched as Rhaxma moved to the gigantic doorway. Compared to Rhaxma the stone door wasn't really that impressive and as Rhaxma reached it she proved that it wasn't that effective at keeping things out either. She slipped her claws into the cracks and hollows in the stone and with a series of grunts and snorts, slowly pried the stone that had filled the doorway from its fixings and it fell to the ground, smashing into pieces and throwing dust and sand into the air.

"Now that's the way to do it," Sparx shouted as he watched the display of strength. "It would have been a lot easier on us if you could have done that, Spyro." The purple dragon shook his head as he removed his wings that he had used to protect his face; the riddle hadn't been that difficult and Sparx hadn't helped at all.

_The Chronicler might be a little upset with that,_ Rhaxma muttered, more to herself than anyone else. _But I can't get in otherwise; it'll be a tight enough squeeze as it is without having to have forced myself through a very narrow doorway. _Saphira agreed, even she would find the passageway difficult to navigate. If Rhaxma could make it through then Saphira would definitely be impressed at how limber her sister was.

Spyro was the first to move on this time, leaving the two females behind as he ran through the opening in the archway, eager to get to the Chronicler and rescue Cynder. Saphira followed next, keeping her wings tight against her body and lowering her head and knees towards the floor. She then began to shuffle her way through the curved passage, her sides just able to fit in without touching the walls.

The circular room that Spyro then entered was almost the same as it had been when he entered it the first time; the doors to the different areas that had tested his elemental abilities were still closed, however.

As Saphira emerged into the room, the sound of Rhaxma growling and struggling to force her way through behind her, the bodiless voices tried to sound out again, but only mutters could be made out by the dragons that were present. "Ok, as much as I'm glad that I don't have to listen to them, that mumbling is even creepier," Sparx complained.

"Well just ignore it, Sparx, the temple's old, the voices are probably connected to it somehow and as it ages they get less power." Spyro replied, wondering himself why the voices were having trouble speaking.

_A little help, if you would be so kind,_ Rhaxma suddenly called out, making Spyro and Saphira turn around to see the great white dragoness' head staring at them. She wrenched from left to right and then growled with frustration. _I'm stuck._

There was silence for a moment, and then laughter filled the chamber, much to Rhaxma's annoyance. She roared loudly and both Spyro and Saphira stopped. _Calm down, we'll get you out, but I'm not exactly sure how._ Saphira said, trying to think up a solution. Spyro was running through his elements to come up with a plan that would solve the problem but he was drawing blanks.

It was then that Saphira had an idea and after sharing it with Spyro they agreed it was the best choice without carving out the rock. They approached Rhaxma's head, which simply looked on to see what was going to be done. Then, without warning, Saphira expelled a blast of ice around the stuck dragon, closely followed by a torrent of flames from Spyro. The two elements mixed and a stream of tepid water washed over the white scales of the dragon.

Rhaxma was unsure what they were doing until she moved her neck and felt it slip against the rock. She then realised that they were lubricating her, making it so she could slip out. It was Rhaxma's huge torso that wouldn't be able to fit through the small gap, however, so Spyro called on his earth element and began to smash his tail against the rock, sending vibrations in a specific direction. The forces shattered the rocks surrounding Rhaxma and they began to crumble to dust. Spyro used his abilities to keep the rock above the dust stable and soon Rhaxma was able to move again.

She emerged into the chamber looking dirty and worn. Her scales had been scratched again by the tight tunnel and it would take a few weeks for new scales to replace them. Saphira looked through the tunnel they had come from and noted the large collection of sand Spyro had created; she didn't like the idea that they were destroying an ancient dragon's home piece by piece.

Rhaxma lay on her side and began to clean herself, her tongue running over her scales over and over again, trying to retrieve some of the beauty she once held. _I'll never attract a mate at this rate, _she complained, _by the time I'm finished helping you too all my scales will be dull and unkempt._

_Well it's not like you have to worry about that,_ Saphira replied, _there's no males for you anyway._

Rhaxma snorted,_ Then I'll have to wait for one of the ones you know to grow older. __I've been alone too long to be put off by the servitude to the king they have been forced to partake in. If you won't mate with them once they are released by their bindings then I will; two mates sounds fine with me._ Saphira growled and was about to reply but Spyro interrupted her.

"Can we move on now?" He asked, stepping towards the light, "We're almost there." Saphira snorted and nodded, making a mental note to confront her sister about mates at a later date. Then she inched further into the room behind Spyro. The room was cramped with all three dragons present in it and Saphira could not see any other passages leading away from it.

Spyro pointed to a small door opposite to the passageway they had used to enter the chamber. _But that's smaller than the other doors, how are we supposed to fit through there?_ The sapphire dragon asked, not wanting to break down the Chronicler's wall to enter his inner chamber. A voice suddenly called out, however, and it echoed through the chamber.

_You may break the wall, Saphira; it is the only way for you and your sister to enter._ The voice then vanished, leaving Saphira to growl at nothing.

"It's ok, Saphira, that was the Chronicler," Spyro told her.

_And it appears he's in a relatively good mood,_ Rhaxma continued, then approached the wall and smashed her tail into it eagerly. A loud crack was heard and then another bang and the wall crumbled, revealing the larger chamber behind it.

_Effective,_ Saphira admitted, but she still wasn't happy with her heavy-handed sister's ways. Spyro wasn't concerned, however, and ran forth, entering the chamber and standing before the enormous hourglass that sat at its centre.

Saphira followed behind him, eager to meet the ancient dragon as she studied her surroundings. Rhaxma had been correct; The Chronicler's inner chamber was much more welcoming, hardly touched by time. The walls appeared as strong as when they were first built and the countless books on the shelves around the room were dust free and in better condition than any of the elves various scrolls and papers.

Rhaxma had studied the room on the other times she had been there and didn't feel the need to look around, she knew that nothing had changed so moved to a corner and curled up in it. Spyro, however, was startled by how many more books there were. The shelves were stacked on top of each other and lined the room; thousands upon thousands of books sorted and stored, all of them about a dragon of the past. One book case stood out from the rest, however.

It stood by the hourglass, next to a book stand with the largest book Spyro had ever seen. He ignored that for a moment, finding the case besides it far more interesting; his book was upon it, as was Cynder's. Eight other books were stacked next to them; one a deep green; another a ruby red; a third was a rich sapphire whilst a fourth was a bright gold. A fifth was pearly white and a sixth a grey almost as dark as Cynder's. The seventh and eighth books were a dark mahogany and an intense orange.

"The last living dragons adorn that shelf," A voice suddenly called out, making Spyro turn to see the Chronicler emerge from behind the hourglass. "All the rest have long been gone, the book beside it recording their deaths as they happened." Spyro glanced at the large book, noticing that it was open, the names clearly visible on the page. One name stood out from the rest.

"Saphira?" He asked as he read the name. "But she isn't dead." Saphira then approached the book and looked at the list of names. There were a number of names listed upon the page, and the name Saphira was eighteenth from the bottom.

"Saphira the first, the Saphira you know was named after her. She was the partner to the human, Brom, as you already know, Saphira." The Chronicler explained. Saphira nodded and studied the names further, the thirteen names at the bottom must have been the names of the foreworn's dragons, and before that were the dragons killed by them and Galbatorix during the Fall. Of course, she couldn't understand the scribbles of any of these names; she had only ever learnt to recognise the hand scrawled drawing that described her.

"I have not viewed a new name in that book for almost three decades," The Chronicler continued, "And I hope that another does not fill it for some time."

Saphira was not listening, she knew that a dragon had not died since Morzan's and countless had been killed before that. What she was interested in was the books on the shelf. She knew who eight of the books belonged to; it was the brown and orange books that drew her attention.

_Who do these belong to?_ She asked, pointing at the books with one of her long ivory claws. Rhaxma had never been told who those books belonged to but now that she knew other dragons like her existed she knew that two of the books on that shelf were not linked to the dragons she knew of.

"They belong to two other dragons," The Chronicler explained. "They do not live in Alagaësia and I wouldn't put any hope into meeting them, I have studied all of your books extensively and neither of you cross paths with them." Saphira was disheartened at that, if they didn't choose her as a mate then they could have at the very least helped in the war effort. But as always she was accustomed to the fact that she would be alone so the Chronicler's words didn't faze her.

Spyro wasn't concerned with any of this; all he wanted was to find a way to rescue Cynder. "Please, Chronicler, we have to read Cynder's book, it's the only way we can think of a way to save her."

"You always were in such a hurry when it came to saving the ones you cared about, young dragon." Another voice entered the room, unfamiliar to Saphira and Rhaxma but almost heart stopping to Spyro. A large orange dragon ventured forth from behind one of the endless book cases that stretched out into a set of hallways. His ancient visage hid the power that lay beneath the fire guardian's scales and coursed through his veins; Spyro remembered well the fury that could be set loose from the approaching dragon, the power wiping out enemies in seconds.

"Ignitus!" Spyro yelled as he ran to the aged dragon. Ignitus lowered his head to Spyro's level as he approached and allowed the purple dragon to rub against the end of his snout, allowing the brief contact out of a need to show his happiness that Spyro was alive. "You're alive; I thought I'd never see you again."

"Well being alive is subjective," A second voice entered the room, this time coming from behind Ignitus. "Whilst a living being is required to have the ability to take in food, adapt to the environment, grow, and reproduce we do not have those abilities." A yellow scaled dragon with a blue underbelly, horns and wings stepped out from the shadows. The Electric guardian beamed down at the awestruck Spyro as he moved to take a place besides Ignitus. "But that by no means indicates that we are dead by our accounts."

"What Volteer means to say is that we are, indeed, dead, but our Spirits live on here, in the Chronicler's temple." A third pride-filled voice followed the second, the source of which was a powder blue dragon who glowered at Volteer as he moved past him. "Why he couldn't just tell you that is beyond me, perhaps he just thought you had suddenly come across a well of knowledge and could understand his relentless babble."

"Or perhaps he is just set in his ways and can't help but use his vast vocabulary to get his point across, Cyril." The deep booming voice of the earth guardian chastised the ice guardian, much to Cyril's annoyance. Terrador then revealed himself to Spyro, his green and brown hide rippling as the muscles worked beneath his scales.

"He's no more set in his ways than any of us, Terrador," Cyril replied. Spyro simply gaped at the four guardians before him, whilst Saphira and Rhaxma simply looked on in confusion.

"Why are you here, what happened, how did the world end up like this?" Spyro finally managed to get out, his enthusiasm and curiosity evident in his voice, much to the amusement of Ignitus.

"It seems time hasn't impeded your questioning personality, Spyro," The fire guardian replied. "There are two reasons why we're here. The first is that Malefor killed us." Spyro thought as much but hearing it from Ignitus himself was a strange experience. "One by one he hunted us down like animals, inflicting us with torture to the limit of what we could bear and then finally, when we could stand no more, put us out of our misery."

"The coward wouldn't even fight me like a dragon," Terrador interrupted. "He had me strapped down to the floor by his vile minions and proceeded to torture me from there."

"He knew exactly how to cause us the most pain with the simplest of gestures." Cyril added, "Denying Terrador his warriors death; muzzling Volteer and forcing him to do nothing but listen to ridicule as his body was whipped mercilessly; and humiliating and degrading me…as well as a few other tortures."

"I," Ignitus interrupted, "was killed before your crystal. I was forced to listen as Malefor gloated that he would conquer the world and when the time was right release you and Cynder and force you both to be his slaves…he then set his apes on me…luckily with death the sense of pain doesn't follow you, I can't remember how the knives and axes felt."

_It seems your lives were not given their rightful ends,_ Saphira finally spoke. _Dragons of your stature should have been allowed to die in peace on __Du Fells Nángoröth._

The guardians looked at Saphira and studied her form, taking their time to note the differences between their features and strengths. "Thank you, Saphira, but we came from a time before your mountain ever existed. But we appreciate your words."

"As for the second reason why they are here," the Chronicler said as he walked between them all, Rhaxma watching him carefully, wondering if he would become irritated at having so many dragons in his home. "When a purple dragon is born and brings about the new age a new dragon is chosen from the existing dragon guardians to become the new Chronicler. Because Malefor imprisoned you, you were not able to bring about that age. When the guardians were killed I could not be replaced so their spirits are kept here. They will all remain until you perform your duty and one of the three will be chosen."

"What happens to the three that aren't?" Spyro asked.

"That is up to them; they can either move on or remain behind with the new Chronicler as companions." The Chronicler explained. "My fellow guardians wanted to remain with me, especially my mate, but I urged them to move on, not wanting them to keep themselves from their afterlife with the ancestors just to be with me."

_The explanations can wait,_ Saphira interrupted, causing all eyes to fall on her. _I must find my rider, Eragon, before he is killed or worse, made to serve Galbatorix._

Ignitus nodded. "Yes, Saphira, we understand the importance, we must save him as well as Cynder. But first there is much to discuss." Saphira let out a growl of impatience, but if her training with Glaedr and Oromis had taught her anything it was that dealing with ancients required an immense amount of patience, more often than not it required more patience than she had.

**I bet some of you are upset that I once again excluded Eragon and Cynder from this chapter but think of it this way, you'll appreciate it all the more when I do bring them back into it; Good things come to those who wait and all that. Please Review.**


	26. A strengthening threat

**It has been far too long since I updated and I aware (for those of you who read 'The Future Begins') that the promise I made to update my stories more frequently these past two weeks has gone unfilled but I have been suffering from writers block. I started writing this chapter on April 1st and as I post this it is now almost 5:30 am on April 18th; that's the longest I've ever took to finish a chapter once it's started. I can do nothing but apologise to you all for keeping you waiting and I understand if you no longer believe me when I say updates will come more frequently, after all I wouldn't believe me too. I'm just going through a very busy period of my life and, as I read from a friends author's note on his story (and I thought he was right on the money so I'm stealing it so thanks PC), I can't just write whenever I have a spare few minutes otherwise the chapter would become choppy, I have to wait until I have a good few hours to get a lot done. Anyway, enough apologies because I'm sure you just went to get on with it, you should enjoy this chapter, plenty of character development and something you've all been waiting for.**

The monotonous ramblings of the ancient dragons bored Rhaxma as she stared absentmindedly at the large hour glass in the centre of the room. She marvelled at how well it had escaped the withers of time, the glass remaining untarnished and the specks of sand glistening as they ticked away an unknown countdown to something. She had asked The Chronicler long ago what it was for as she had never seen the hourglass being turned but he never told her, she even doubted that he knew exactly what it was for if it wasn't simply a symbol of his power as the keeper of history.

She then looked over at Saphira who seemed to be trying to keep up with the conversations but failing admirably as they talked about events and places that escaped her ancestral knowledge. Not having a rider herself, Rhaxma didn't understand the driving force behind Saphira's actions. The sapphire dragoness demanded answers and action with the intensity that any dragon would show for their mate when they were in trouble.

Never experiencing the company of another individual she didn't understand the attachments one would develop to someone you'd shared your mind with. As she grew Rhaxma had asked The Chronicler about the other dragons and had been told about the intimate link a dragon and rider would share. It confused her that two different species could grow so close together, but then she did realise that living in isolation dampened her ability to form attachments with others and to understand the reasoning behind it.

Yawning loudly, the great white dragon moved from her side and sat on her haunches, her head standing level with the top of the hour glass. She then snaked that head down and began to clean her claws, removing dirt and grains of sand between her scales with her tongue. _If you're bored you could try to join in._ Saphira then said to her.

Rhaxma snorted. _I know just as much as you do that the majority of what they're saying makes no sense to us. It wouldn't be an efficient use of my time to listen, at least until someone wants to speak to me directly._

_And I suppose grooming yourself is a better use of your time?_ Saphira asked, her mind vaguely aware of the conversation the other dragons were having.

_I can't think of a better use at the moment, _Rhaxma replied, looking up briefly to lock her eyes with Saphira's before turning back to her cleaning. _You could do with a grooming yourself, and then maybe you'd be able to persuade one of those dragons to break free of Galbatorix's control._

An intimidating growl emerged from Saphira at that comment, her anger beginning to brim to the surface, causing the other dragons to momentarily stop their conversation to observe whatever was about to happen. _I'll have you know that I've been told I am one of the most beautiful dragons some people have seen. I am not in need of a grooming. _

_And I suppose your rider and the elves have told you that. I wouldn't take the words of fanatics to be the truth if I were you; it'll just lead to your own disappointment. _

_Eragon is not a fanatic, _Saphira shouted, her mental voice echoing between every dragons' skull. _And as for the elves, they just know how to respect those around them and know how to act in certain situations. Unlike you who has spent the last century alone in isolation when you should have travelled to the mainland to help rid the world of Galbatorix._

"Saphira, I believe it would be best if you let the argument drop." Ignitus interrupted, aware that if a fight broke out, although they couldn't exactly get hurt, then they would be hard pressed to stop the mighty dragons from destroying the temple in their skirmish.

_No, I will not let the matter drop, old one. I want to know why she has remained her when it was clear that she was needed elsewhere. _Saphira began to snarl, her lips peeling back and revealing the ferocious teeth hidden behind them as her anger built. _There were countless tasks she could have took part in; the hunt for Morzan; the theft of the last three dragon eggs, of which only I was taken; the ferrying of my egg between Ellesméra and the Varden. Her actions are inexcusable and if she chooses to return with me to Alagaësia questions will be asked as to why she hasn't made herself known until now. I am simply being the first to ask them. _

Silence enveloped them all after Saphira finished talking and waited for Rhaxma to respond; the white dragoness had continued to clean her claws with increased vigour, despite them already shining, almost as if to purposefully avoid meeting anyone's gaze. _I was scared._ She finally said, startling everyone; they hadn't expected that answer.

_Excuse me? _Saphira remarked. You were scared?Rhaxma nodded. _Scared of what?! I'm sorry but that isn't a good enough excuse, do you not think I was scared or Eragon? Of course we were but we did what was expected of us. Eragon could have handed me over or hidden me away in a cave and forgotten all about me but he didn't, he stood by me and when I was old enough I stood by him. You had no reason to seclude yourself, especially when you had grown old enough to breathe fire._

Rhaxma snarled and snapped her jaws together. The other dragons remained quiet, not wanting to take sides. _Of course that is a good enough reason. You may have been scared but at least you had someone to be scared with. Just imagine hatching in the middle of a thorn bush at the base of a cliff. Your soft scales being scratched as you climb out of the bush and cry out for your mother only to receive the howl of the wind in response._

_You sit and keen at the base of the cliff, waiting for someone to find you and care for you. Then you realise that no one is coming and begin scrounging for food, the small insects and rodents you find providing very little nourishment._ Rhaxma continued, her eyes long since leaving Saphira, who was beginning to regret provoking her elder sister. _Those were my first moments in this world, Saphira. _

Saphira only remained silent, she realised now that she had managed to open something that had been kept closed for possibly a very long time. _Then when you grow old enough and you grow tired of living at the bottom of that cliff you venture to the top, only to discover a cave littered with egg shells and the remains of dragons, picked at by wolves and whatever else decided it wanted a free meal._

_I found my parents murdered and my siblings killed before they even hatched. The world of man, elf and dwarf was unknown to me at the time but it didn't take long for me to learn that their petty squabbles was responsible for my family's death. And then when I found the Chronicler I discovered that it was not just my family, it was my entire species, hundreds of my kind wiped out in only a few years, leaving me alone in the world. _

_I did not want to go to the mainland, to face the ones responsible for my solitude. The Chronicler told me about your egg, along with the other two and I knew that if I ventured into Galbatorix's kingdom I would sooner be captured and forced to submit to his dragon before I managed to extract even a meagre fraction of my revenge. I was faced with living alone or living with a mindless mate who would show me no love and give me eggs that would be taken away from me as soon as I lay them. And if I was killed there would be one less dragon in the world and I could not allow that, even if my future meant that I'd be the last living dragon in the world but there would at least still be a living dragon._

_So don't you dare tell me being scared isn't a good enough reason for not leaving to help the world that forgot about me. As far as I am concerned that is more than enough reason. Perhaps if I had a rider or a mate to help me I may have done something but when you are alone with no support for any of your needs, be them psychological or merely physical, you can not be blamed for doing what your instincts tells you to. _The mighty dragoness then turned her back on the others, fanning her wings out behind her and hiding her head from view.

_Great, now look what I've done, _Saphira thought to herself as she looked at her sister's back. It appeared Rhaxma had returned to grooming her body, most probably cleaning the scales on her underside that had been scratched during her entrance into the temple.

The sapphire dragoness made to step towards Rhaxma but Volteer coughed, making her turn around. "I think it would be best if you left her alone for a while, Saphira. My experiences tell me that that would be wise as it would give you and her time to think. I recommend you use that time wisely." Saphira stared at the guardian for a few seconds before finally snorting and stomping into a dark corridor where she curled up and grumbled to herself.

"Quite a temper she has," Cyril commented as he looked at her silhouette.

"This is nothing," Spyro added, "you should have seen her when Eragon was taken away; she burned down a small wood."

"Yes, the pain experienced by a dragon that has lost its rider is great," The Chronicler continued, silencing the other dragons as they listened; he was speaking quietly enough to ensure Saphira could not hear. "But Saphira's pain is far greater than what she should be feeling. Unlike the dragons before her she has somehow formed a special bond with Eragon, a bond that eludes me as to its exact nature."

"Well what does that mean?" Spyro asked, worried about his friend's well being. "Will she be alright?"

"She will be fine; her pain is not physical, only emotional. Obviously it would be better to get Eragon back to her as soon as possible but given time she will grow accustomed to Eragon's absence and the pain will numb somewhat." With that The Chronicler moved towards the shelf with the living dragons' books stacked on it, extracted Cynder's tome and returned to the others.

"It is amazing how our kind has evolved over the years," Ignitus suddenly said after being deep in thought for several minutes. "What exactly is it that links Saphira to Eragon? Obviously there isn't a biological need due to them being two separate creatures but Saphira is clearly distraught."

The Chronicler placed Cynder's book by his feet, next to Spyro, who for some inexplicable reason wanted to touch it, and then began to explain. "When a dragon is born…now of course, not during your time, its egg is usually kept by its parents, typically its mother. However, due to the pact dragons made with the elves dragons have been donating eggs to the dragon rider order. From there an enchantment is placed on the egg so that the youngling inside will only hatch when it comes into contact with the rider that will best compliment its strengths. In Saphira's case that Rider was Eragon."

"Yes, we have learnt that much from observation," Terrador interrupted with his grumbling voice. "But how is it that they become linked?"

"Now that is a little hard to explain." The Chronicler continued. "When the dragon touches its chosen rider a physical bond is formed, leaving behind a mark on the palm of the rider's hand. The rider is then knocked unconscious from the effects of having its mind joined intimately with the dragon's. The magic of the ancient language does not provide a specific answer to how their minds become linked but they are linked nonetheless."

"And that's why Saphira feels so upset?" Spyro asked, finally understanding.

"Yes, Spyro. She is essentially missing the other half of her heart and mind; she isn't used to being alone so it pains her to be so." The Chronicler then opened Cynder's book and began to turn the pages. "Which is why we must find Cynder as Eragon is sure to be with her and if not we can at least know where Cynder will be to rescue her."

--

The sun was well on its way to setting in Alagaësia, bathing the land in a luscious golden colour, the sky in a complimentary pink. There were no clouds; it would be a cold night for anyone sleeping in the open air. Naturally Eragon cared little for those unfortunates, instead finding humour in the fact that when faced with a bitterly cold night the poor and the destitute wouldn't break into a home and murder its inhabitants for the sake of a warm bed. _Fools,_ he thought, he definitely would if it meant a warm bed, or even if he was bored.

He stared out into the city before him and the few guards patrolling the higher tiers of the castle's walls with their crossbows at the ready, just in case someone decided to storm the castle, or they got bored and decided they wanted a little shooting practice. Eragon remembered clearly that most of Galbatorix's army consisted of men that did not want to fight and were forced to do so. But there was a marked difference in the ones chosen to guard Galbatorix's castle; they were simply brutal, lacking intelligence most of the time but occasionally the odd smart man may be enlisted, increased pay of course.

A kestrel perched itself on a flag pole, resting after a long flight. Eragon watched as one of the guards elbowed his partner in the ribs and pointed to it. They exchanged a few words and the first guard took aim at the bird and fired. The wind carried the bolt to the left and it swept past the kestrel, startling it and making it take off.

Eragon laughed inwardly as he watched the man get jeered by the other who did nothing but watch the kestrel circle the flagpole before setting back down again. This time the other man took aim with his crossbow and, hoping for a fight to break out, Eragon nudged the bird with his mind right before he fired. The bolt went even further astray than the first, the kestrel having moved as soon as the man fired.

As expected the first man ridiculed the second and before long a punch was exchanged and the two men were at each other's throats. Eragon laughed out loud, startling the flock of magpies that had landed in the courtyard he was standing in. "Having fun?" A female voice suddenly asked.

Eragon turned and noticed the lithe form of Cynder, her light and sinuous body allowing her to land quietly without detection. "I am actually," Eragon responded as he looked over her body. "You've gone through another spurt."

Cynder nodded her great head, now towering over Eragon. "Our master is quick in his methods, as you have experienced first hand. But trust me when I tell you the actual growth is far more painful than the addition of a few scales"

"I don't doubt that, he doesn't seem the type to put me unconscious for the process," Eragon replied as he looked down at his body. He had forsaken clothes for the simple fact he had nothing to hide anymore. Every part of his body was covered in charcoal coloured scales, and he had nothing left on his body that warranted modesty; a dragon's anatomy was much less revealing. The fact that his genitals were now inside his body, however, was the only thing that disturbed him.

Having read his thoughts on dragon anatomy, Cynder smirked at him. "If you're worried about it that much then I guess I could ease your anxiety…once you get a little bigger of course. After all, you are the only dragon around that won't have to be ordered to mate with me."

"Well I have no intention of becoming your little pet in that area so I'd get any such thoughts out of your head unless you wish to submit to me." Eragon replied as he began making his way to the staircase that would take him back into the castle. Cynder followed behind him, glad that she wasn't forced to fly to another entrance; the elves were certainly gifted at catering to dragons' needs.

"You know that that will not happen, Eragon," She continued as she carefully began moving down the flight of stairs, her massive feet barely managing to fit on each step. "If you wish to mate at any point during our time serving our master you know that I will not be the one to beg and willingly allow you to dominate me."

"Then it looks like there will be quite a bit of fighting between us because I am not going to be yours to call upon when you need to satisfy whatever urges you are experiencing." The thought of actually mating with Cynder did seem appealing, however. His other side had never experienced the touch of a woman, and although a dragoness was much different to a woman she would still be female all the same. "Besides, how do you know we'll even be compatible? I'm being based off Saphira's physiology, not yours."

Cynder snorted, obviously finding his statement funny in some way. "By my guesses I'm about as large as Saphira is, if a little thin in the legs and torso. But either way, when you are grown you won't be much bigger and as long as dragons haven't changed too much I'm sure we'd be able to manage. But enough talk, I'm aware there's no love between us so we can forgo pleasures for duties; Malefor would like to see you. Of course I'm coming, I have a feeling I know what it is and I'm certainly not missing it."

Eragon had a feeling to, and although it was a little daunting he was looking forwards to it. The two walked in silence through the long, tall corridors, passing only a few people who gave them a wide berth. It didn't take them long for the two of them to each the throne room and they walked in together, Eragon holding the doors open for Cynder.

Standing in the middle of the room was Galbatorix, Shruikan having left some time before Eragon and Cynder had embraced Malefor as their master. They didn't know where the greater dragon had disappeared to but they had discussed it between themselves and had agreed that it would be easier to become the top dragons without Shruikan being able to subdue them.

_I've been waiting for you, Eragon, _Malefor's disembodied voice spoke, _I would have hoped you would have arrived sooner._

Eragon refused to bow; until he became a complete dragon he wouldn't owe anything to Malefor. He did apologise, however. "I'm sorry; I was having a discussion with Cynder." The black dragoness shifted slightly at that comment and Eragon smiled at her discomfort.

_Well I expected you two to grow closer so I am willing to tolerate it,_ He replied, and then had Galbatorix motion towards a large cushion behind him. _Please stand over there, Eragon; we are going to continue with your transformation._

Eragon nodded and moved over to the cushion, the softness of it surprising him and almost making him stumble. But once in the centre he turned to look at Galbatorix and the coiled form of Cynder, who met his gaze and smirked inwardly at the pain he was about to be exposed to. Then, without warning, Malefor forced his way into Eragon's mind, making him wince and sink to his knees.

"Now I know what the cushion is for," Cynder said as she watched him writhe in pain.

"That and Eragon will probably need to rest when he's finished; he may as well be comfortable." Galbatorix added.

Malefor refrained from commenting, he was too busy shifting the energy flow between Eragon and Saphira. The thin trickle that had enabled the mental link between the dragon and rider had been widened into a stream, allowing Eragon to grow scales from the energy. Now, however, Malefor was widening it further, opening a floodgate so that Eragon's body was infused with Saphira's essence.

The results began to show them selves almost instantly as Eragon arched his back and cried out whilst two thin bones erupted out of his back between his shoulders. Blood flowed freely from the tears in his back and continuously thinner bones stretched out from the original two, forming the basic structure of wings. Cynder then marvelled as sinew, muscle and skin stretched over the bones, filling them out and his spine elongate, stretching out of his skin and growing.

Eragon, however, was barely aware of anything. The pain was excruciating, mind numbing. He was beginning to question the whether the reward was worth the effort involved. The movement of his neck, stretching and elongating, tearing in places before healing over only to tear once again caused him to cry out again. The sound was barely audible, his throat being restricted by the new muscles and his vocal chords becoming stretched into new positions.

Galbatorix was also intrigued by the transformation; before his very eyes a human, a rider like himself, was being transformed into a dragon, the very creature he had been responsible for almost eradicating. As Eragon's facial features became unrecognisable, his hair falling out and sharp horns of bone jutted out of the back of his head, along with a number of spines, Galbatorix found himself wishing the same could be done to Murtagh and Katrina. Being able to transform humans into dragons would make the chances of resurrecting the dragon species increase significantly.

But he knew that that would be difficult, probably impossible to accomplish. Malefor had said there must be a bond between dragon and human, and even then it has to be a special bond, one previously undocumented, although that may be because it had gone undetected.

The flow of energy from Saphira to Eragon had reached a plateau, no matter how Malefor tried he could not increase the flow, or, he discovered upon a curious impulse, decrease it. The bond between Eragon and Saphira had become stronger and completely equal in the energies passed between the two. _They are linked more than ever now._ Malefor announced to both Cynder and Galbatorix. _I don't know what will happen from here on out, whether Saphira is aware of it or if they can survive separately. Only time will tell._

They then watched as Eragon went through the last stages of his transformation. His newly grown lungs began to take in more air in deep rasping breaths as his throat completed its lengthening and he could breathe unrestricted. He no longer screamed but roared in pain as sharp deadly teeth erupted from his jaws and a barbed tongue stretched out of his maw. His legs and arms snapped repeatedly as they reshaped themselves into their new positions; claws of ivory growing out of his toes and fingers.

"Quite a handsome dragon he's turning into, isn't he?" Cynder stated as she looked over his charcoal coloured scales, noticing the fine coat of sweat from the skin beneath caused by the effects of the transformation. "Quite a prominent muzzle, but he looks different to Thorn and Fyrenze, certain aspects remind me of Spyro and the Guardians." She said, referring to the spines along his back and the much darker and larger scales along his underside.

_Yes, _Malefor began to explain,_ my influence in Eragon's mind had caused some slight differences in his physiology. He is mostly built around the forms of the dragons of the present era, but some minor aspects from our era, Cynder, are present. I suspect they would be present in any off spring he produces; however, as those traits become diluted they may disappear. _

"Well that depends on whether he has off spring with me or not doesn't it," Cynder added. "My traits would only attribute his."

"If we obtain Saphira he will mate with her just like Thorn and Fyrenze will," Galbatorix interrupted. "Eggs from all three dragons will be needed to continue your race."

"Of course but do not think you can force me to mate with your two servants," Cynder snarled, viewing Galbatorix as she had viewed Gaul, Malefor's other servant and king of the apes, as an equal. "I chose my own mate. If I just so happen to feel…inclined to mate with them then I shall but you shall not make me."

"I didn't say you had to." Galbatorix interrupted, "I was only referring to Saphira."

_You are free to do as you please, Cynder as long as it does not interfere with our plans on the grand scheme of things._ Malefor silenced the pair. _Who knows, when Spyro sees that you have rejoined me he may be inclined to join you by my side. Then you can have a permanent mate._

Cynder hadn't thought about that. Spyro had been corrupted before, on the night of eternal darkness. Merely being exposed to Malefor's influence had left him susceptible to his influence again; it would only require the right tempting to create the right emotional response from him for him to submit. "I like the sound of that, Spyro seems much more likely to submit to me, I wouldn't even need to fight with him for dominance."

_You forget that you are remembering him as he is now. _The voice of Eragon spoke to them all. They looked at his body, the only part of him moving being his bony eyelids that clicked loudly as they blinked over his red-pupiled eyes. _If Spyro joins us his he will loose all inhibition and you may find he wants nothing more than to tie you down and have his way with you._

Cynder smirked, unperturbed by Eragon's comment. _That doesn't sound that bad, but he may find the positions switched from time to time._

"I believe you are getting ahead of yourselves." Galbatorix then said, making them both quieten down and stare at him. "We have to find them first and I don't think that would be easy if they have found this Chronicler you mentioned, Eragon. Until then we have more immediate things to discuss." A knock on the throne room doors was heard and Galbatorix opened them with a mutter of the ancient language.

Murtagh and Katrina, followed closely by Thorn and Fyrenze, then walked in, hesitating slightly at the sight of Eragon on the large cushion, not knowing who he was. They then continued, taking their bowed stance before Galbatorix. "You sent for us, Ebrithil?" Murtagh asked.

"I did," Galbatorix replied then motioned for them to stand upright. "I have received intelligence of deeper insurgencies into my empire and I believe these are credible threats. I think its time we took a more direct approach and go on the offensive."

**Well review and tell me what you think, I'm eager to know how you think I'm handling Eragon's and Cynder's personality changes and the events that are being set up. I have some really interesting ideas to include in the next portion of the story so any feed back on what's happened so far is truely appreciated. Also, would anyone who has given me an idea that I have thanked you for and have said that I may use please remind me of them...I'm a complete arse and forgotten to write them down so have now forgotten. It would truely be appreciated because I had worked them into future plots and can't remember who to thank for them and I'm sorry for the inconveinence of it all. Thank you in advance.**


	27. Mounting a defence

**I'm not dead! Sorry I've been gone for so long, I just had some more important things to take care of, I've started my end of year exams for example. But the exams finish on June 18th for me and I've finished college now, I only have to go back to sit each exam. So basically I'll soon have plenty of time to get back to writing and for those who have been here since the beginning you'll remember the golden days when I could put out three chapters a week. Of course there's no guarantee that I'll be able to get back to that pace but who knows, I may suddenly get a big motivation boost. Anyway, enjoy this chapter, I know you've been waiting for a while.**

Chairs were brought into the throne room, along with a small table. The servants carrying them shook as they walked past the dragons, both Cynder and Eragon giving intimidating growls as the small humans passed, and then laughing at how quickly they scurried away. Thorn and Fyrenze, however, showed more restraint and eyed the other two dragons carefully.

Murtagh and Katrina did the same, especially after being told that the charcoal dragon was once Eragon. They had noticed a disturbing change in his personality before but they never expected him to be transformed like he had been; they considered it wrong. What was really upsetting to them was how badly Saphira may take it. They both felt that they wouldn't be happy with Thorn or Fyrenze becoming human so they could only imagine what Saphira may feel, although they had yet to discuss it with their partners.

When the table and chairs had been set up Galbatorix sat down. The table had been positioned in front of his throne and so he sat at the head, lording over the rest of the people in the room like any king would. A meek looking woman stood by his side, holding something wrapped in oilskin. Murtagh and Katrina sat next to each other on the left of the table, and opposite Galbatorix sat the dragons, all four of them looking at the humans before them.

"First things first," Galbatorix then spoke, his low yet melodious voice echoing throughout the vast room. "As you know, Eragon is now a dragon and was kind enough to bring us a rider's sword. Of course now he no longer has a need for it and as you, Katrina, are currently without one you shall inherit it." He then took the oilskin wrapped package and dismissed the woman, who left incredibly quickly. "Its name is Mor'ranr."

Katrina rose from her seat to take the package from Galbatorix and then sat back down, upon which she began to unwrap it, revealing the beautiful sapphire blade. She unsheathed it to admire the metalwork and then put it away; buckling it to her hip much like Murtagh had done with Zar'roc. "Thank you, my King," She then said, bowing her head in thanks.

"You are welcome, now all we have to do is wait for one more person to arrive and we can commence discussing our strategies." Galbatorix finished, then sitting silently. Murtagh and Katrina began to wonder who the other person was going to be. They entertained the notion that Malefor had a found a tangible body but then dismissed it; Malefor was currently resting after Eragon's transformation, he wouldn't be joining in with the discussions.

Several silent minutes passed, the only sounds heard in the room being the scrapes of scales and claws on the stone floor as one by one the dragons laid themselves down. Most of the clicking originated from Eragon, who was experimenting with his body. He flexed his clawed hands continuously; admiring the powerful deadly weapons he had been given. He also snapped his jaws every now and then, each time the clash of his teeth mashing together causing everyone to look at him. The rustle of his leathery wings unfurling and folded also occasionally filled the air.

No one told him to stop, however, despite how annoying they found it. Eragon was large, bigger than Thorn and undoubtedly powerful. If he decided to lash out against anyone in the room the poor unfortunate would be hard pressed to repel him. Not that it couldn't be done; Eragon may be strong but he was not nearly used to his body enough yet to use it as effectively as he could. For that reason Cynder had promised to put him through his paces in the art of ground and aerial combat, including honing his elemental powers, which had yet to express themselves.

The ones who were especially unhappy with Eragon's transformation were Thorn and Fyrenze. Having to share the hold with him would be nothing but a hassle, especially since the body language Eragon was using did nothing but suggest that he though he was superior, which had yet to be determined. It wasn't only that that bothered them, however. It was the fact that if they succeeded in capturing Saphira then she would be forced to mate with all three of them.

Both Thorn and Fyrenze had agreed with each other that they would make it as painless and the least degrading for Saphira throughout that process, but they knew without a shadow of a doubt that Eragon would probably relish the opportunity to dominate her, despite the connection that he and her shared. Unless Saphira became as corrupted as Eragon had become she would definitely not appreciate Eragon's transformation. In fact, the only way they could see her accepting it is if she had had the opportunity to protest it; at least then she wouldn't feel like her Eragon had been taken from her unwillingly.

A gentle breeze suddenly swept through the room despite the lack of an open window or door. It blew Katrina's hair about her head, making her go red with embarrassment as she tried to restrain her coppery hair from billowing about the room. Then the breeze stopped, as suddenly as it appeared and footsteps could be heard behind Galbatorix's throne. Murtagh, Katrina and the dragons watched the throne carefully whilst Galbatorix sat as still as ever.

Looks of pure horror and disgust then appeared on Katrina's and Murtagh's faces as Hydanza stepped out of the shadows, as tall and menacing as ever. His eyes appeared more sunken, and his skin around his mouth had darkened somewhat but his brilliantly white hair and his piercing green eyes had remained as prominent as they had been. He grinned at Katrina as he moved to take a seat, his hideously sharpened teeth flashing briefly before he sat down and turned to the king.

"I am sorry for my lateness, my lord. My informant in the Varden had a small case of 'unconsciousness'. As such he was being monitored by the Varden's healers and he could not report to me as soon as I would have liked. I punished him for his lack of judgement in pretending to faint to escape discovery, not so much that he will betray us, however; the punishment for treachery is public execution."

The King simply nodded, accepting the apology and then looking towards Murtagh, who appeared to have gone pale. "Now, Murtagh, no doubt you are expecting some form of punishment for lopping of Hydanza's head when you found Eragon and Saphira." Murtagh didn't say a word; all he could do was keep eye contact with the king whilst Hydanza smugly smiled to himself. "But that punishment will not be coming." Galbatorix finally finished, causing Murtagh to feel relief and Hydanza's smile to be wiped from his ghastly face.

"My lord?" The Shade asked, obviously disappointed in the lack of consequences for defying orders, not to mention trying to kill him.

"If it wasn't for Murtagh's false judgement we would have never have found Cynder, nor would Eragon be a dragon. Through Murtagh's own folly we are in a stronger position to succeed in our goal of capturing Saphira and destroying the Varden." With the ramifications of his actions now clear, Murtagh stole a glance from Katrina, their eyes meeting briefly and they both realised that they may have doomed any chance of defeating Galbatorix.

"When the Varden is gone," The King continued, "I can focus all my efforts on the restoration of the dragon race."

_And how exactly are you to accomplish that? _Eragon's voice answered, his body showing no sign of listening to the conversation as they all looked at him; he was looking down at his claws and licking them, doggedly trying to emulate how Saphira used to clean her claws, at least that's how Murtagh saw it. _With only two females and three males at your disposal how do you think the race will turn out? Inbreeding doesn't benefit a population for long._

Katrina found herself nodding along with Eragon's statement. She had learnt from the various farmers and traders in Carvahall that selectively inbreeding livestock produced far more valuable offspring during the trading seasons. But she also new that with that came an increased chance of defects in the animal, often making the creature worthless. She imagined the same thing would apply to dragons just like it did with humans.

"That will not be a problem, Eragon." Galbatorix answered. "As dragons you do not have many defects. Any you do have will not cause you a large disadvantage and if you had possessed a serious fault then the egg you would have came in would be soft and you would have died before you hatched. The marvellous thing about dragons is that as a species you do not allow inherited sickness to affect you. Inbreeding, the only way to prevent your race from slipping into extinction, will not cause a problem for you. And with traits from the likes of Saphira your race may even be all the better for it."

_I do not like the way you simply dictate my actions, _Thorn suddenly interrupted, a growl escaping from between his jaws, his teeth flashing for an instant before Murtagh gave him a warning glare. Thorn ignored it, however. _You may be able to force me to do your bidding but do not expect me to do it without complaint. You talk about my species' right to procreate as if it is by only your doing that it can be possible. If you hadn't swore Fyrenze and I into your service one of us may have been able to be mated to Saphira by now!_

Galbatorix remained silent as Fyrenze joined in. _I may have only come into contact with Saphira once but even the brief contact I had with her has shown me that she is a powerful female who would be most sought after if our race was still flourishing. What you wish to throw upon her is not what she deserves and I will not take part in planning her capture. _The green dragon finished with a definitive snap of his jaws.

Katrina and Murtagh looked dismayed, their faces pale and their eyes wide. They were certain that after outbursts like that the both of them and their dragons would be punished severely. But when they looked at Galbatorix they were puzzled to see that he had a smile on his face, much different to his usual expressionless visage when he was about to discipline his servants.

"Thorn, Fyrenze, both of you are sworn to me and will do whatever I tell you to do. So the fact that you complain about it is a rather irrelevant." The King responded, proving only to anger the dragons further; they didn't like having their views branded irrelevant. "You do not have to take part in the planning of Saphira's capture, I can orchestrate that myself. And besides, we are not here to plan that but rather the protection of my Empire. Hydanza, if you would be so kind as to brief us."

"Of course, my King." Hydanza replied as he stood up from his seat and in a display of dark magic conjured a large map of Alagaesia. He then rolled the map out on to the table so that Galbatorix was looking at it right way up. "Currently, the main force of the Varden is here," Hydanza pointed to Belatona. "They also have troops and fortifications, here and here." Each time the Shade pointed at the map a black mark appeared, a mark now on Belatona, Feinster and Melian.

"The Surdans have successfully captured Aroughs, here," a blue mark appeared over Aroughs, "and the elves have captured Ceunon." A green mark appeared just like the rest, this time over Ceunon. "Currently they are the cities and towns that have been lost to the rebels."

"And their next objectives?" Galbatorix asked, studying the map carefully, already knowing where the most strategic place to attack would be.

"Dras Leona, and Gil'ead, my Lord." It was then that Hydanza drew lines with his fingers, a black line from Belatona moving up along Leona Lake towards Dras Leona. He then drew two green lines extending out of the forest of Du Weldenvarden, moving south around Isenstar Lake and flanking Gil'ead. "The Varden and the elves plan to attack Dras Leona and Gil'ead simultaneously, with a contingent of Dwarfs reinforcing the Varden a day after the initial assault. The Surdans, as far as I am aware, are not taking part, or at least King Orrin isn't."

Katrina and Murtagh were impressed. Although simple, the forces rising against the Empire split the war on two fronts, at a cost of nearly nothing to the attacking forces. The main army around Urû'baen would take far too long to mobilize in time to prevent the loss of a city and even if it could, one city would be almost guaranteed to fall without reinforcements, something that Galbatorix couldn't afford to spare without weakening the defences of the other cities and his own fighting force.

Galbatorix, however, continued to stare at the map, noting how each front was to be tackled. Without specific knowledge on the battlefields on which the upcoming battles would be fought he was at a disadvantage. "What else was your operative able to glean, Hydanza?" He asked, hoping for anything more to factor in to his decisions before he declared them to the others around the table.

"The elves have no other tactics to give," The Shade began, "the only thing they have acted upon which may have impeded their conquest is dispatch mages to the northern towns of Yazuac and Daret, even Therinsford despite our lack of influence that far north. They have effectively cut off any routes we may have used to send reinforcements; if we do send them the elves will definitely know about it and will react accordingly."

"And the Varden?" The King interrupted, knowing that if the Varden fell then the elves would retreat and he could worry about them at a later date. "Tell me about the Varden."

Hydanza smiled again, the mockery of human expression still unsettling the two riders who were forced to sit opposite him. "Their tactics were more obtainable." It was then that Hydanza placed his finger in the middle of Leona Lake and moved it across to the City, creating another line. "They plan to use the commandeered warship, the Dragon Wing, to attack the city as a distraction. Any vessels in the lake at that time will likely be fired upon by the ship whilst the city's gates are assaulted. That was all that had been decided on before Nasuada dismissed her commanders."

Galbatorix nodded in silence, absorbing the information. There weren't many options to him. The Varden had already made their army mobile and within a week the battle would commence; he simply didn't have time to gather a counter strike that could reinforce Dras Leona and Gil'ead and keep his army battle ready all at the same time. Not only that but due to the fronts being so far apart he couldn't merely focus on one objective; the second would fall whilst he was defending the first.

"Tactical strikes," Cynder suddenly called out. Galbatorix looked up at the sound of her voice and focused on her. "When I was conquering the dragon realms my armies were often out numbered. The only way for me to succeed was to take out the commanders of the armies that were resisting me. Without leaders their troops were a disorganised mess."

Eragon had forgotten that Cynder used to be a ruler, a successful one too. It was only the result of a more powerful dragon than her interfering that she lost that position and the power that came with it; clearly she was aiming to gain that power back. _Weakening their forces now and then striking afterwards before they are able to gain too strong a defence mounted in the cities would be the best option. _Eragon chipped in. _The Varden's performance is linked directly to its morale. After such successful insurgencies into the Empire they will be a force to be reckoned with. Only by undermining this morale would we stand a chance in pushing them back and striking their commanding officers would do that nicely._

Galbatorix nodded and smiled slightly. "You two are already making yourselves useful." He then took one last look at the map and seemingly made a decision. "Gil'ead is going to be the hardest to make any sort of impact upon. The elves are formidable opponents and they rarely lose sight of their objectives. That inability to change at a moment's notice is what we'll use against them. Cynder, Eragon, you will go to Gil'ead. It is less likely that they will attack dragons, especially ones that they have never seen before. You will be able to cause more damage than the others."

Eragon and Cynder nodded, looking forwards to being able to cause some destruction. "Hydanza will go with you, which will allow for some diversions and split the elves focus between him and you both. I trust you remember what Malefor taught you, Hydanza?"

The Shade nodded, this time not smiling. "I do, my Lord. It will prove most efficient not needing to wait for troops to arrive. Being able to conjure them will allow me to reach Gil'ead along with the dragons and summon any troops there."

"Excellent," Galbatorix replied, he then looked at Murtagh and Katrina. "I believe you two will have the biggest impact with the Varden. They still hope to recover the green dragon and seeing him in the skies above the city with Thorn, reigning down fire upon them will surely dishearten them. Whilst the dragons are in the skies, however, you Murtagh, Katrina, will be on the ground, eliminating the commanders, officers and hopefully Nasuada herself. Have your dragons drop you and pick you up after each kill and let none escape you, understood?"

He had addressed the riders in the ancient language, needing to ensure that they would do what he asked. "Understood," they both answered in the magically binding language, sealing them to their orders.

"Good, I trust in both your abilities enough that you will not be captured, no soldier can hope to defeat you except for an elf, and even then only the strongest would even pose a challenge." Katrina and Murtagh simply nodded, knowing that it would be futile to argue against it. As long as he knew their true names then they were powerless against him. The only reason they weren't offering alternatives to their mission was that they were hoping the Varden would be able to capture them; that would be the only way for them to escape the King's clutches, if only temporarily.

"Would it be wrong of me to ask what you shall be doing, ebrithil?" Murtagh then plucked up the courage to ask, preferring to know exactly what his master would be up to in their absence.

"As I am no longer in possession of a dragon I shall not be riding into battle." He answered, seeing little point in keeping his activities secret. "Until our enemies make it to me or events require my personal intervention I will do as I always have. In the meantime, I will endeavour to concoct a plan to capture Saphira, and Spyro if he so happens to fit into it. Holding my empire and rejuvenating the dragon race are my primary concerns. Once I have satisfied my concerns I shall release you both from your bonds and you may do as you wish."

_That last sentence was in the ancient language, _Thorn said to Murtagh, keeping the conversation hidden from Galbatorix. _No doubt to try to ensure our loyalty. Do not fall for it; we must take every chance we get to escape him. If you fall for his words now then you will be condemning Saphira to a life of pain…help me prevent that, please._

Murtagh ignored Thorn for the time being, preferring to discuss those matters away from Galbatorix. "Ebrithil, if there is nothing else for Katrina and myself to know then we would like to begin preparations for our mission. We shall take the next two days to gather our equipment and handle our affairs and then set off. We'll wait for the Varden to become occupied with their battle and then strike with the element of surprise."

Galbatorix nodded, returning to his previous state of staring at the map. "That is fine, Murtagh. You both may go. Report to me before you leave in case I have further orders for you but until then the next two days are yours to do with as you see fit. You're dismissed."

Both Katrina and Murtagh nodded and rose to their feet. They each gave a glance to Hydanza, who smirked back at each of them in return, and then turned to leave, walking past Eragon and Cynder without acknowledging their presence. Thorn and Fyrenze followed behind them; however, they did look at the other two dragons. Eragon met Thorn's gaze and he snarled, at which Thorn replied with a snap of his jaws and a deep growl. He then continued on his way, Fyrenze by his side.

When all four of them had made it out of the throne room and the doors were safely closed behind them Katrina spoke. "Roran and Saphira are going to be heart broken. That shouldn't have happened to Eragon."

_It is an unfortunate turn of events, but if we can somehow get through to Eragon, the one that you know, then we may be able to turn it to our advantage. _Thorn replied, moving down the hallway and making the turn to the next that would take them to the dragon hold. _I'm not sure how we can do it, but if we can then he would be in a position to protect Saphira much better than any one else could whilst Fyrenze and I are forced to pursue her._

"Which reminds me," Murtagh interrupted. "I'm not going to let Galbatorix's words cloud my judgement, Thorn. I'll help you protect Saphira for as long as I can. But you must realise that the odds are against us, you may have to accept that at some point she will be captured and then she will be at Galbatorix's mercy."

_We know that, but we want her as safe as possible until then._ Fyrenze added._ Once she's captured Thorn and I will be able to show her some form of respect, but Eragon in his current state won't._ The dragon hold was as cold and dark as ever as they entered it, but being dragons that wasn't much of a problem. They did notice that two more hollows had been lined with bedding, obviously for Cynder and Eragon to sleep in.

"_We'll find a way to make him see reason again,"_ Murtagh tried to reassure them all._ "After all, from the sounds of it, Cynder seemed to have broken free of Malefor's influence before, why would Eragon be any different?"_ Both Fyrenze and Thorn took their positions in their beds, deciding that it would be best if they not upset themselves over things they couldn't change.

They were both surprised, however, when their riders joined them, nestling themselves against their dragons' sides. "It's a long walk back to our rooms and we don't feel comfortable leaving you here with both Cynder and Eragon when they turn up." Katrina explained.

"Besides, we rarely have a chance to do it and Eragon and Saphira did it all the time when I travelled with them. We just want some semblance of what they had." Murtagh explained further as he lay lengthways between Thorn's right legs. Katrina did the same with Fyrenze between his left legs and both dragons lowered a wing over them both to keep them warm.

All four of them exchanged good nights and it didn't take long for the two humans to fall asleep. Thorn and Fyrenze, however, remained awake. As such they were able to witness Cynder and Eragon enter the hold. Not wanting the two of them know they were awake, both the two rider's dragons feigned sleep as the two newest dragons passed.

No interaction occurred; they simply chose their beds, entered them and curled up to sleep. When it was apparent that they weren't going to do anything else, the two cautious dragons relaxed and joined their rider's in slumber.

**Things are going to be heating up really soon, I can't tell you how much I'm looking forwards to writing the next few chapters, the battles that are going to take place will have plenty of interesting revelations for you all to chew over. I hope you all enjoy them. Well, reviews are appreciated as you know and I hope you've enjoyed the chapter, not much happened but I didn't want to put anything else in that may have detracted from what was already written.**


	28. Auther's note Not bad news

**For all those very patient, and loyal readers. **

**I am, indeed, not dead. I understand that quite a few of you must be upset that I have disappeared into the void that most fan fiction writer's tend to fall into. However, I am trying to claw my way out. It may not seem like it but I definitely want to finish each of these stories; I'm just not sure on when I can do so.**

**I have, in fact, a chapter for each of the stories that I have on going, half written, stuck with a writer's block on each one. So, as a result, I am going to try a different approach. As you can imagine, one would get rusty if they haven't written consistently in a while so I am going to write another short story. **

**This, will be posted on Valentine's day, and will be understandably romance orientated. I am doing this because I enjoyed writing 'The Courtship Festival' and I have nothing better to do to celebrate that particular day. I am hoping that it will get me back into the swing of things for me to be able to write freely again, and that it will rekindle my inspiration for the Eragon/Saphira pairing, as this story will be dedicated to that theme. (Psyclone, if he's still out there, will have an idea of the story line as we discussed it some time ago.)**

**So, once again, I am sorry, if that means anything any more, and I hope to be back soon. I apologise for not responding to most PMs and Reviews but there are that many now that I wont be able to respond to them. But, I will try to respond to any that anyone would like to send from here on in.**

**I hope to see you all on Monday.**

**Fresh Blood.**


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